| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT
Setting: Australia, mixed
Exercise groups: 1
Comparison groups: 1 |
| Participants |
Number of participants: 110 (E1 = 55, C1 = 55)
Chronic LBP duration: 700 weeks (long)
Neurological/radicular symptoms: No participants
Mean age (years): 50
Sex (female): 43% |
| Interventions |
Exercise Group 1 (E1): Sagittal loading flexibility and mobilising exercises; type = flexibility/mobilising; duration = 24 weeks; dose = low; design = standardised; delivery = independent; additional intervention = electrotherapy & anti‐inflammatory/analgesics
Comparison Group 1 (C1): Usual care/no treatment (control group: continue normal activity and exercises) |
| Outcomes |
Core outcomes reported: Pain (Visual Analogue Scale); function (Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire); HRQoL (12‐Item Short Form Survey)
Follow‐up time periods available for syntheses: 10 weeks (short); 24 weeks (moderate); 52 weeks (long) |
| Notes |
Conflicts of interest: None to declare
Funding source: Australian General Practice Evaluation Program; Australian Association of Musculoskeletal Medicine; Musculoskeletal Research Foundation of Australia
Other: None |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Blinding of care provider (performance bias) |
High risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Participants analysed in group allocated (attrition bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Groups similar at baseline (selection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Co‐interventions avoided or similar (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Compliance acceptable in all groups (performance bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
| Timing of outcome assessment similar in all groups (detection bias) |
Low risk |
Support for judgement is not available |
