Abstract
Objective: The UK BEAM trial was designed to evaluate treatments for back pain in primary care. The objective is to briefly describe the different treatments and to present the frequency with which trial participants attended for manipulation, exercise or both.
Design: The UK BEAM trial is a national randomised factorial trial in primary care. Participants were randomised to receive one of GP management, exercise classes, manipulation (in either private or NHS premises) or both exercise classes and manipulation. Participants randomised to manipulation alone could receive up to eight sessions delivered by a chiropractor, an osteopath, or a physiotherapist. Those randomised to exercise alone could attend up to nine sessions led by a physiotherapist in a local community facility. Subsequently, those randomised to manipulation followed by exercise could attend up to 17 sessions.
Subjects: Participants were recruited from 150 GP practices in 14 centres distributed across the United Kingdom. The target population was patients between 18 and 65 years who present in general practice with non-specific back pain with or without leg pain.
Outcome Measures: The frequency that participants attended for manipulation, exercise, or both.
Results: The trial recruited 1334 participants. The current analysis shows the mean number of sessions attended by participants for manipulation alone is 6.6. The mean number of sessions attended for exercise alone is 4.4. In contrast, those participants randomised to manipulation followed by exercise attended 5.2 and 3.4 sessions respectively.
Conclusions: Those participants who were randomised to manipulation followed by exercise attended fewer sessions on average than those randomised to manipulation or exercise alone.
Abstracts prepared by Mr. A. J. Stirling, FRCS, and Miss A. Weaver. Correspondence should be addressed to Miss A. Weaver at the Research and Teaching Centre, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 2AP, UK
BritSpine 2002, the second combined meeting of the British Association of Spinal Surgeons, the British Cervical Spine Society, The British Scoliosis Society and the Society for Back Pain Research, took place at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham UK between 27th February and 1st March 2002. The following presentations and posters were given and displayed.
