Characteristics of study patients
| Intervention group(n = 247) | Control group(n = 253) | |
|---|---|---|
| QBPDS, Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (0–100: higher score means more disabilities); NRS, Numerical Rating Scale (0–10: higher score means more pain). | ||
| *Missing values (8 and 15, respectively). | ||
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 46.2 (14.8) | 44.4 (13.3) |
| Sex: no (%) female | 132 (53.4%) | 127 (50.2%) |
| No (%) with paid job | 171 (69.1%) | 193 (77.0%) |
| Duration of current episode*: no (%) | ||
| <3 weeks | 85 (35.6%) | 74 (29.2%) |
| 4–12 weeks | 76 (31.8%) | 93 (39.1%) |
| >12 weeks | 78 (32.6%) | 71 (29.8%) |
| Mean (SD) baseline functioning(QBPDS) score | 39.3 (17.9) | 41.0 (18.6) |
| Mean (SD) baseline pain intensity(NRS) score | 6.3 (2.1) | 6.4 (2.1) |
| Baseline sick leave due to back pain (% yes) | 46.6 | 43.2 |