Some types of exercise are more effective than others in people with chronic low back pain: a network meta-analysis

Question: What are the effects of specific types of exercise treatments on pain intensity and functional limitation outcomes for adults with chronic low back pain?

Design: Systematic review with network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Participants: Adults with non-specific low back pain for ≥ 12 weeks.

Intervention: Exercise treatments prescribed or planned by a health professional that involved conducting specific activities, postures and/or movements with a goal to improve low back pain outcomes.

Outcome measures: Pain intensity (eg, visual analogue scale or numerical rating scale) and back-related functional limitations (eg, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire or Oswestry Disability Index), each standardised to range from 0 to 100.

Results: This review included 217 randomised controlled trials with 20,969 participants and 507 treatment groups. Most exercise types were more effective than minimal treatment for pain and functional limitation outcomes. Network meta-analysis results were compatible with moderate to clinically important treatment effects for Pilates, McKenzie therapy, and functional restoration (pain only) and flexibility exercises (function only) compared with minimal treatment, other effective treatments and other exercise types. The estimated mean differences for these exercise types compared with minimal treatment ranged from -15 to -19 for pain and from -10 to -12 for functional limitation.

Conclusion: This review found evidence that Pilates, McKenzie therapy and functional restoration were more effective than other types of exercise treatment for reducing pain intensity and functional limitations. Nevertheless, people with chronic low back pain should be encouraged to perform the exercise that they enjoy to promote adherence.

Registration: DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD009790.