| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Australia, healthcare
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 57 (E1 = 29, C1 = 28)
Chronic LBP duration: 8.8 weeks (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Not specified
Mean age (years): 41
Sex (female): 59% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Specific trunk muscle training: individualised with home exercise programme (Richardson & Jull); type = core strengthening; duration = 4 weeks; dose = low; design = individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = advice/education & manual therapy
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Usual care/no treatment (usual general practitioner care; no physiotherapy) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Numeric Rating Scale); function (Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 4 weeks (short); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: Not reported
Funding source: Not reported
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Flip of a coin by independent person. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Independent person assigned to group. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Sixty‐seven per cent completed one year follow‐up. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Reported intention to treat, but not clear that the 29/28 subjects were all included in the analysis. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Unclear if they sought other physiotherapy treatment; did not measure co‐interventions in the intervention group. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Compliance not assessed in the home programme; not mentioned regarding other component. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
