Abstract
Systematic reviews show beneficial effects of spinal manipulation, general exercise, and ‘active management’. A national randomised factorial trial in primary care (UK BEAM trial) was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of these treatments for back pain. We will present the characteristics of participants recruited into the trial and preliminary health outcomes at one and three months.
Back pain patients, recruited from over 150 UK practices, were randomised to receive GP management, exercise classes, manipulation (either in NHS or private premises) or both manipulation and exercise classes. At one, three and twelve months, participants completed postal questionnaires which included questions about general health, experience of back pain, beliefs about back pain, psychological profile, functional disability and costs to both the NHS and the participants themselves.
The trial recruited 1334 participants, of which 84% and 77% completed one and three month questionnaires respectively. At randomisation, the mean Roland Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) score was 9.0 points (sd=4.0). This improved to 6.8 points (sd=4.8) at one month and to 5.5 points (sd=5.0) at three months.
Preliminary blinded results show an improvement in RDQ scores across all participants. The primary analysis, available late in 2002, will estimate the main effects of exercise and manipulation, each compared to GP care.
The abstracts were prepared by Dr C Pither. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the British Orthopaedic Association, Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PN
