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Are Small Effects for Back Pain Interventions Really Surprising?

Hill, Jonathan

Are Small Effects for Back Pain Interventions Really Surprising? Thumbnail


Authors



Abstract

There is reasonably strong evidence that some physical therapy interventions are effective (compared to minimal or no intervention) for patients with low back pain (LBP); however, the effect sizes are typically small. Many clinicians argue that this evidence is at odds with their daily clinical experience. There are several reasons that likely contribute to small effects in clinical trials of LBP and other musculoskeletal conditions. In this Viewpoint, the authors look at which of these reasons are beyond our control as clinicians and simply need to be acknowledged and understood, and which may provide insights into improving the design of future clinical trials of LBP and ultimately delivering better care to our patients.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 22, 2015
Publication Date May 1, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy
Print ISSN 0190-6011
Publisher Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy
Pages 317-319
DOI https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2016.0604
Keywords clinical trial; clinician; LBP; low back pain
Publisher URL http://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2016.0604