Summary of findings for primary outcome and quality of evidence assessment (GRADE)*
| Outcome | Follow-up time-point | Number of participants | MD (95% CI)† | GRADE |
| General population | ||||
| Exercise vs control | ||||
| Pain intensity | Short-term | 61217 27 34 | −4.50 (−7.26 to −1.74) | Moderate quality |
| Disability | Short-term | 18927 | −2.36 (−7.11 to 2.39) | Very low quality‡ |
| Exercise and education vs control | ||||
| Pain intensity | Short-term | 18430 32 36 | −1.95 (−10.09 to 6.18) | Low quality |
| Pain intensity | Long-term | 4718 32 36 40 | −4.37 (−9.16 to 0.43) | Moderate quality |
| Disability | Short-term | 15032 36 | −4.94 (−12.78 to 2.90) | Low quality |
| Disability | Long-term | 4718 32 36 40 | −6.28 (−9.51 to −3.06) | Moderate quality |
| Education vs control | ||||
| Pain intensity | Short-term | 77718 29 33 | −1.81 (−4.68 to 1.07) | Moderate quality |
| Pain intensity | Long-term | 1267 40 | 1.71 (−6.14 to 9.56) | Low quality |
| Disability | Short-term | 80429 33 38 41 | −2.59 (−6.15 to 0.96) | Moderate quality |
| Disability | Long-term | 17640 41 | −0.29 (−4.87 to 4.30) | Low quality |
| Ergonomics vs control | ||||
| Pain intensity | Short-term | 55220 | 1.40 (−3.28 to 6.08) | Low quality‡ |
| Pain intensity | Long-term | 53820 | 2.00 (−2.74 to 6.74) | Low quality‡ |
| Ergonomics and education vs control | ||||
| Pain intensity | Short-term | 19228 | 1.00 (−6.93 to 8.93) | Very low quality‡ |
| Pain intensity | Long-term | 2667 28 | 0.00 (−6.70 to 6.70) | Low quality |
| Disability | Short-term | 19228 | 2.08 (−1.87 to 6.03) | Very low quality‡ |
| Disability | Long-term | 18428 | 1.25 (−3.08 to 5.58) | Very low quality‡ |
| Pregnant population | ||||
| Exercise vs control | ||||
| Pain intensity | Short-term | 45221 23 | −2.70 (−6.56 to 1.17) | High quality |
| Disability | Short-term | 24021 | −2.91 (−7.06 to 1.24) | Low quality‡ |
| Children population | ||||
| Exercise and education vs control | ||||
| Pain intensity | Short-term | 7022 | 0.00 (−11.68 to 11.68) | Very low quality‡ |
A negative value of the MD estimate represents an effect in favour of the intervention group.
Short-term indicates follow-up assessment of <12 months.
Long-term indicates follow-up assessment of 12 months or more.
*Only studies providing results that could be converted to a 0–100 scale are presented.
†Value presented on 0–100 scale.
‡Quality of evidence assessment based on a single trial.
GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation; MD, mean difference.