| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: USA, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 29 (E1 = 15, E2 = 14)
Chronic LBP duration: 26 months (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Some participants
Mean age (years): 49
Sex (female): 48% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Stabilisation exercises for strengthening the lumbar multifidus and transversus abdominis muscles, home exercises; type = core strengthening; duration = 6 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = not specified
Exercise Group 2 (E2): McKenzie approach with individual assessments, end‐range repeated movements of the spine, home exercises; type = Mckenzie; duration = 6 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = advice/education & manual therapy |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Functional Status Questionnaire)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 6 weeks (short) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: Not reported
Funding source: Not reported
Other: Information modified for author contact |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Randomisation was done using a random number generator to assign each subject a number. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
The examiners were not blinded during data collection. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Of the 30 subjects, 29 completed the study. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Twenty‐nine of 30 subjects analysed |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
The sample consisted of 14 females and 15 males between the ages of 19 and 87 years with a mean age of 47 years. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Authors contact: "believed they were compliant but did not assess" |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Author contact: tried to monitor compliance but patients not compliant in completing logs |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
