Exercise reduces sick leave in patients with non-acute non-specific low back pain: a meta-analysis

J. Kool*, R.A. de Bie, P. Oesch, O. Knusel, P. van den Brandt, S. Bachmann

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether exercise alone or as a part of a multidisciplinary treatment reduces sick leave in patients with non-specific non-acute low back pain. METHODS: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was performed. A qualitative analysis of the sick leave results was performed applying pre-defined levels of evidence. In studies comparing exercise with usual care, pooled effect sizes were computed. RESULTS: Fourteen trials were identified allowing 22 comparisons between treatments. The qualitative and the quantitative analysis showed strong evidence that exercise reduces sick days during the first follow-up year, the effect size (95% confidence interval) was -0.24 ( -0.36, -0.11). In a subgroup of studies on the treatment of severely disabled patients (> 90 sick days under usual care) the effect size was -0.30 (-0.42, -0.17). The effect size of the number of patients receiving a disability allowance was small and not significant. CONCLUSION: The reviewed trials provide strong evidence that exercise significantly reduces sick days during the first follow-up year.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-62
JournalJournal of Rehabilitation Medicine
Volume36
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2004

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