Trial reportBMJ (Clinical research ed.)1999
Randomised controlled trial of exercise for low back pain: clinical outcomes, costs, and preferences.
Trial report in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 1999. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 68 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
68 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 379 citations in OpenAlex.
- Identification of subgroup effect with an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of three different types of therapist-delivered care in low back pain.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of Exercise Training on Fear-Avoidance in Pain and Pain-Free Populations: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2020Pooled it
- Effect of Treatment Preference in Randomized Controlled Trials: Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-Analysis.The patient · 2019Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for subacute low back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Physical conditioning as part of a return to work strategy to reduce sickness absence for workers with back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013Pooled it
- Physical therapy treatments for low back pain in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2013Pooled it
- Value-based care in the management of spinal disorders: a systematic review of cost-utility analysis.Clinical orthopaedics and related research · 2012Pooled it
- Content and outcome of usual primary care for back pain: a systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2008Pooled it
- Prediction of sickness absence in patients with chronic low back pain: a systematic review.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2006Pooled it
- Evaluation of effective return-to-work treatment programs for sick-listed patients with non-specific musculoskeletal complaints: a systematic review.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2005Pooled it
- Exercise therapy for treatment of non-specific low back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2005Pooled it
- Trial
- Patient Preferences for Lifestyle Management in a Multi-site Randomized Lifestyle Trial for Remission of the Metabolic Syndrome.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Trial
- The Added Value of Face-to-Face Supervision to a Therapeutic Exercise-Based App in the Management of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Trial
- Efficacy of classification-specific treatment and adherence on outcomes in people with chronic low back pain. A one-year follow-up, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial.Manual therapy · 2016Trial
- Trial
- Can we predict response to the McKenzie method in patients with acute low back pain? A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2012Trial
- Effect of classification-specific treatment on lumbopelvic motion during hip rotation in people with low back pain.Manual therapy · 2011Trial
- Preference, expectation, and satisfaction in a clinical trial of behavioral interventions for acute and sub-acute low back pain.The journal of pain · 2010Trial
8 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate effectiveness of an exercise programme in a community setting for patients with low back pain to encourage a return to normal activities.
designRandomised controlled trial of progressive exercise programme compared with usual primary care management. Patients' preferences for type of management were elicited independently of randomisation.
participants187 patients aged 18-60 years with mechanical low back pain of 4 weeks to 6 months' duration.
interventionsExercise classes led by a physiotherapist that included strengthening exercises for all main muscle groups, stretching exercises, relaxation session, and brief education on back care. A cognitive-behavioural approach was used.
main outcome measuresAssessments of debilitating effects of back pain before and after intervention and at 6 months and 1 year later. Measures included Roland disability questionnaire, Aberdeen back pain scale, pain diaries, and use of healthcare services.
resultsAt 6 weeks after randomisation, the intervention group improved marginally more than the control group on the disability questionnaire and reported less distressing pain. At 6 months and 1 year, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in the disability questionnaire score (mean difference in changes 1.35, 95% confidence interval 0.13 to 2.57). At 1 year, the intervention group also showed significantly greater improvement in the Aberdeen back pain scale (4.44, 1.01 to 7.87) and reported only 378 days off work compared with 607 in the control group. The intervention group used fewer healthcare resources. Outcome was not influenced by patients' preferences.
conclusionsThe exercise class was more clinically effective than traditional general practitioner management, regardless of patient preference, and was cost effective.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.