| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: France, healthcare
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 132 (E1 = 68, E2 = 64)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (not specified)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Some participants
Mean age (years): 40
Sex (female): 35% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Isotonic muscle strengthening, endurance training (stepping, jogging, and cycling exercises), supervised weightlifting exercises, work simulation workshop; type = functional restoration; duration = 5 weeks; dose = high; design = partially individualised; delivery = group; additional intervention = advice/education & psychological therapy & relaxation
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Flexibility exercises and pain management (first 2 weeks), followed by strengthening exercises and functional training with home exercises (stretching, jogging, and swimming); type = mixed; duration = 5 weeks; dose = high; design = standardised; delivery = group; additional intervention = none |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); work (reduction in number of sick‐leave days)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 5 weeks (short); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: Institutional funds (source not indicated)
Other: SDs imputed |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Patients were randomised by an independent methodologist to one of the two rehabilitation programmes, according to an eight‐element permutation table. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Assumed not possible |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Assumed not possible |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Patients were evaluated at baseline and after treatment by a physiotherapist who was not blinded but had not been involved in the treatment. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Unclear risk |
Nineteen (14.4%) patients were missing at one‐year follow‐up. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
The main limitation of this study was the lost to follow‐up rate. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
There was no significant difference between the two groups. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
No other co‐interventions or treatments were allowed, except their medication prescribed at baseline. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
