| Intervention | Function Short-Term Effect Size SOE | Function Intermediate-Term Effect Size SOE | Function Long-Term Effect Size SOE | Pain Short-Term Effect Size SOE | Pain Intermediate-Term Effect Size SOE | Pain Long-Term Effect Size SOE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise: Versus NSAIDs + Muscle Relaxants | insufficient evidence | insufficient evidence | no evidence | insufficient evidence | insufficient evidence | no evidence |
| Exercise (Pilates): Versus Acetaminophenb | small + | no evidence | no evidence | large + | no evidence | no evidence |
| Acupuncture: Versus NSAIDs | insufficient evidence | no evidence | no evidence | insufficient evidence | no evidence | no evidence |
Short-Term: 1 to <6 months; Intermediate-Term: ≥6 to <12 months; Long-Term: ≥12 months
Effect Size: none, small, moderate, or large improvement
Strength of Evidence: + = low, ++ = moderate, +++ = high
none = no effect/no statistically significant effect; NSAIDs = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; SOE = strength of evidence.
SOE and effect size based on totality of evidence from prior report and new trials.
New trial of exercise versus pharmacological intervention with short-term followup only. Due to differences in the types of drugs used, the two trials comparing exercise with pharmacological treatments were not amenable to pooling.
From: Discussion
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