| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Ireland, healthcare
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 41 (E1 = 20, C1 = 21)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (not specified)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Some participants
Mean age (years): 45
Sex (female): 66% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Core stability muscles training to activate transversus abdominus and multifidus muscles using biofeedback and home exercises; type = core strengthening; duration = 10 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = advice/education
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Usual care/no treatment (control group: no intervention) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Function (Oswestry Disability Index); HRQoL (36‐Item Short Form Survey)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 10 weeks (short) |
| 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) |
Unclear risk |
Subjects were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Not described |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Initially, 23 subjects (seven male, 16 female) were assigned to the treatment group and 22 subjects (eight male, 14 female) to the control group. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Not described |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
There were no significant differences between the groups mean baseline Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, or 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey scores (P > 0.05). |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| 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. |
