| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Norway, mixed
Exercise groups: 2
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 120 (E1 = 39, E2 = 43, C1 = 38)
Chronic LBP duration: 600 weeks (long)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: Some participants
Mean age (years): 40
Sex (female): 54% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Mensendiek exercise: aerobic, stretching, strength, co‐ordination; type = mixed; duration = 13 weeks; dose = high; design = partially individualised; delivery = group; additional intervention = advice/education
Exercise Group 2 (E2): Thirty‐minute exercise session; type = mixed; duration = 13 weeks; dose = high; design = partially individualised; delivery = group; additional intervention = back school
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Other conservative treatment (education) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Visual Analogue Scale)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 22 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: Device status category: 1
Funding source: Norwegian Fund for Post Graduate Training in Physiotherapy; The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Author contact: changed from unclear |
| 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 |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
High risk |
Support for judgement was not available. |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Unclear 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) |
Unclear 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. |
