| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: England, healthcare
Exercise groups: 3
Comparison groups: 0 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 46 (E1 = 16, E2 = 17, E3 = 13)
Chronic LBP duration: Not specified (moderate)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Some participants
Mean age (years): 43
Sex (female): Not reported |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Lumbar extension training: one set of approximately 8‐12 repetitions through the participant's full range of motion with pelvic stabilisation; type = strengthening; duration = 12 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = none
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Lumbar extension training: 1 set of approximately 8‐12 repetitions through the participant's full range of motion without pelvic stabilisation; type = strengthening; duration = 12 weeks; dose = low; design = partially individualised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = not specified
Exercise Group 3 (E3): McKenzie protocol, muscle imbalance protocol, home exercises; type = mixed; duration = 12 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = individual; additional intervention = advice/education & manual therapy |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Oswestry Disability Index)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 12 weeks (short) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: Not reported
Funding source: Not reported
Other: Information modified for author contact |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not described |
| 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 |
Author contact: outcome assessor was not blinded. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Four dropouts from 46 |
| 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 |
Author contact: no significant differences |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Unclear risk |
Author contact: people continued physical therapy. |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: participants only missed one or two sessions. |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
