Trial reportBrazilian journal of physical therapy
Effectiveness of graded activity versus physiotherapy in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: midterm follow up results of a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in Brazilian journal of physical therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 3 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
16 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Advances in physiotherapy for chronic low-back pain: a level I systematic review.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2026Pooled it
- Psychological interventions for chronic, non-specific low back pain: systematic review with network meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2022Pooled it
- Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Comparison of supervised exercise therapy with or without biopsychosocial approach for chronic nonspecific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Trial
- Effects of Reiki Versus Physiotherapy on Relieving Lower Back Pain and Improving Activities Daily Living of Patients With Intervertebral Disc Hernia.Journal of evidence-based integrative medicineTrial
- Article
- The effect of graded exposure therapy in patients with non-specific chronic lower back pain and kinesiophobia in Gauteng, South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapy · 2026Article
- Effects of an additional multimodal intervention (MultiMove) during inpatient rehabilitation on clinical and functional outcomes in patients with chronic low back pain- a pilot trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Predictors for Poor Outcomes at Six Months on Pain, Disability, Psychological and Health Status in Greek Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain After Receiving Physiotherapy: A Prospective Cohort Study.Clinics and practice · 2025Article
- Graded activity for chronic low back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Article
- Article
- Prognostic Factors in Patients Undergoing Physiotherapy for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Level I Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Physiotherapeutic and non-conventional approaches in patients with chronic low-back pain: a level I Bayesian network meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Interventions for the Management of Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Revision 2021.The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy · 2021Article
- Effectiveness of workplace intervention strategies in lower back pain prevention: a review.Industrial health · 2020Review
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLow back pain (LBP) is a major health and economic problem worldwide. Graded activity and physiotherapy are commonly used interventions for nonspecific low back pain. However, there is currently little evidence to support the use of one intervention over the other in the medium-term.
objectiveTo compare the effectiveness of graded activity exercises to physiotherapy-based exercises at mid-term (three and six months' post intervention) in patients with chronic nonspecific LBP.
methodsSixty-six patients were randomly allocated to two groups: graded activity group (n=33) and physiotherapy group (n=33). These patients received individual sessions twice a week for six weeks. Follow-up measurements were taken at three and six months. The main outcome measurements were intensity pain (Pain Numerical Rating Scale) and disability (Rolland Morris Disability Questionnaire).
resultsNo significant differences between groups after three and six month-follow ups were observed. Both groups showed similar outcomes for pain intensity at three months [between group differences: -0.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]=-1.5 to 1.2)] and six months [0.1 (95% CI=-1.1 to 1.5)], disability at three months was [-0.6 (95% CI=-3.4 to 2.2)] and six months [0.0 (95% CI=-2.9 to 3.0)].
conclusionThe results of this study suggest that graded activity and physiotherapy have similar effects in the medium-term for patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.
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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.