title: Mechanical Low Back Pain: Secular Trend and Intervention Topics of Randomized Controlled Trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the number of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on mechanical low back pain (MLBP) rehabilitation, the secular (i.e., long-term) trend, and the distribution of interventions studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  All included RCTs were extracted from all Cochrane systematic reviews focusing on rehabilitation therapies for MLBP, and two independent reviewers screened and analyzed the information on interventions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After removal of duplicates, the data set consisted of 196 RCTs published between 1961 and 2010. The number of RCTs published increased consistently over time: 2 trials (1% of the total) were published in 1961-1970, 10 (5%) in 1971-1980, 41 (21%) in 1981-1990, 68 (35%) in 1991-2000, and 75 (38%) in 2001-2010. The intervention of interest in the majority of RCTs was exercise therapy (115/399; 29%), followed by spinal manipulation therapies (60/399; 15%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of RCTs focusing on MLBP has risen over time; of all interventions studied, exercise therapy has attracted the most research interest.
authors: Health Professional Science of Rehabilitation.
authors: Greta
authors: G
authors: Castellini
authors: Unit of Clinical Epidemiology; Center of Biostatistics for Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Gianola
authors: Scientific Directorate, IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute; Vita - Salute San Raffaele University, Milan.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Banfi
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan.
authors: Stefanos
authors: S
authors: Bonovas
authors: Unit of Clinical Epidemiology; Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan.
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Moja
keywords: intervention studies; low back pain; randomized controlled trials as topic; rehabilitation