Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain (Cochrane review)

This Cochrane review pooled 99 studies (9,041 participants in the main pain analysis) on exercise for chronic low back pain, meaning pain lasting more than 12 weeks.

What it found

• Compared with no treatment, usual care or placebo, exercise improved pain by about 15 points on a 0 to 100 scale (95% CI 12 to 18) and function by about 7 points. Certainty of evidence was moderate.
• Compared with other conservative treatments, the benefit was smaller: about 9 points for pain. Certainty was low.

What it means for patients

Structured exercise is one of the better-supported treatments for long-lasting low back pain. Which exercises suit you depends on your assessment, so the plan should be personalised and progressed over time.

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