| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Germany, general population
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 60 (E1 = 30, E2 = 30)
Chronic LBP duration: 678 weeks (long)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 52
Sex (female): 50% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Lumbar extension, repetitive contraction cycles, constant speed, load gradually increased, resistance exercise of the abdominal and thigh muscles; type = strengthening; duration = 12 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = not specified; additional intervention = none
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Specific exercise: platform that oscillates around a resting axis between the subjects feet during exercise units, the subject performed slow movements of the hip and waist, with bending in the sagittal and frontal planes and rotation in the horizontal plane; type = other (co‐ordination); duration = 12 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = not specified; additional intervention = none |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Pain Disability Index)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 12 weeks (short); 24 weeks (moderate) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: No funding received
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: changed response |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: changed response |
| 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 |
Low risk |
25/30 completed the study in both groups. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| 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 |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low 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. |
