| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: USA, mixed
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 2 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 61 (E1 = 20, C1 = 20, C2 = not reported)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (not specified)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Some participants
Mean age (years): Not reported
Sex (female): Not reported |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Functional training (core stability) during performance of actual daily activities (e.g., vacuuming, sweeping, lifting household items), flexibility and core strengthening exercises; type = core strengthening & flexibility/mobilising; duration = not specified weeks; dose = low; design = individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = advice/education & manual therapy
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Other conservative treatment (education)
Comparison Group 2 (C2): Other conservative treatment (physical therapy) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 8 weeks (short); 26 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: Foundation for Physical Therapy
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Group assignment was made after the baseline testing and was determined by computer‐generated allocation. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Group assignment was made after the baseline testing and was determined by computer‐generated allocation. |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Because this was an exercise study, it was not possible to blind subjects or physical therapists to the group assignments. |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Because this was an exercise study, it was not possible to blind subjects or physical therapists to the group assignments. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Assessors of outcome measures were blinded to the group assignment and conducted measures at a separate location from the interventions. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Six‐seven per cent of the participants provided at least some data on completion of the first two months of the study, and 44% provided data for the entire 12 months. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Not included |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
No significant between‐group differences were found at baseline for gender, age, height, weight, pain or physical functional capacity. |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Incorporated strategies to enhance adherence and refresher sessions at six and 12 months |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
