Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32211998›Full record

Trial reportEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2020

Exercise for the intervertebral disc: a 6-month randomised controlled trial in chronic low back pain.

Patrick J Owen, Clint T Miller, Timo Rantalainen, Katherine J Simson, David Connell, Andrew J Hahne, Guy Trudel, Jon J Ford, Daniel L Belavy

Registry-linked trialOpen access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in 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, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06151704 (The Effect of High-power Laser Therapy on Pain, Functional Disability, Range of Motion and Pressure Pain Threshold in Subjects With Radicular Low Back Pain Due to Intervertebral Disc Herniation), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT06151704 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

The Effect of High-power Laser Therapy on Pain, Functional Disability, Range of Motion and Pressure Pain Threshold in Subjects With Radicular Low Back Pain Due to Intervertebral Disc Herniation: A Double-blind Randomised Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorIran University of Medical SciencesRan2022 to 2024Enrolled36ConditionsRadiculopathy, Lumbosacral Region, Radiculopathy LumbarArmsHigh intensity laser therapy, Motor control exercise
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
  3. Running is associated with intervertebral disc adaptations: a pre-planned secondary analysis of the ASTEROID randomised 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 · 2026
    Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Patrick J OwenDeakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Geelong, Australia. p.owen@deakin.edu.au.
Clint T MillerDeakin University, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Geelong, Australia.
Timo RantalainenDeakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Geelong, Australia.
Katherine J SimsonDeakin University, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Geelong, Australia.
David ConnellImaging@Olympic Park, Melbourne, Australia.
Andrew J HahneLow Back Research Team, College of Science, Health & Engineering, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
Guy TrudelBone and Joint Research Laboratory, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Jon J FordLow Back Research Team, College of Science, Health & Engineering, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
Daniel L BelavyDeakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Geelong, Australia. d.belavy@deakin.edu.au.
Deakin University · AULa Trobe University · AUOlympic Park Sports Medicine Centre · AUOttawa Hospital · CA

Funding

Deakin University, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Belavy 2014-2017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background contextMuscle, bone and tendon respond anabolically to mechanical forces. Whether the intervertebral disc (IVD) can benefit from exercise is unclear. PURPOSE: To examine whether exercise can beneficially affect IVD characteristics. STUDY DESIGN/

settingThis is a single-blinded 6-month randomised controlled trial (ACTRN12615001270505) in an exercise and physiotherapy clinic. PATIENT SAMPLE: Forty patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (NSCLBP) are included in this study. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was lumbar IVD T2 time (MRI). Secondary outcomes included IVD diffusion coefficient and IVD expansion with short-duration lying.

methodsTwenty patients progressively loaded their lumbar IVDs (exercise) via an exercise programme involving progressive upright aerobic and resistance exercises targeting the trunk and major muscle groups and were compared to twenty patients who performed motor control training and manual therapy (control). Testing occurred at baseline, 3 months and 6 months.

resultsSeventeen exercise and fifteen control patients completed the interventions. There were no group-by-time differences in T2 time of the entire IVD (exercise 94.1 ± 10.0 ms vs. control 96.5 ± 9.3 ms, p = 0.549). Exercise patients had shorter T2 time in the posterior annulus at 6 months (82.7 ± 6.8 ms vs. 85.1 ± 8.0 ms, p = 0.028). Exercise patients showed higher L5/S1 apparent diffusion coefficients and decreased IVD height at 3 months (both p ≤ 0.050). After adjustments for multiple comparisons, differences lost statistical significance. Per-protocol and intent-to-treat analyses yielded similar findings.

conclusionsThis trial found that 6 months of exercise did not benefit the IVD of people with NSCLBP. Based on this index study, future studies could investigate the effect of exercise on IVD in different populations, with different types, durations and/or intensities of exercise, and using different IVD markers. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Indexed as

Intervertebral DiscLow Back PainExerciseHumansLumbar VertebraeMagnetic Resonance ImagingIntervertebral discMagnetic resonance imagingPhysical activityPhysical therapyPhysiotherapyRehabilitationSpine

Identifiers

PMID32211998
OpenAlexW3013747235

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.