| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Sweden, healthcare
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 47 (E1 = 24, C1 = 23)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 38
Sex (female): 74% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Stabilising exercises: activation and control deep abdominal, multifidus muscles (Richardson & Jull); type = core strengthening; duration = 6 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = advice/education
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Other conservative treatment (manual therapy) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index); Global Perceived Health or Recovery (Global Perceived Health or Recovery (general health Visual Analogue Scale))
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 6 weeks (short); 13 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: Not reported
Funding source: Anne‐Marie and Ragnar Hemborg Foundation
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Cards in a box |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| 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 |
Sixteen lost to follow‐up ‐ no info on how different; six at first follow‐up |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Sample sizes in Table 3 missing values |
| 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) |
High risk |
No, more in manual treatment group reported treatment during follow‐up period. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
