Table 1 In- and exclusion criteria of the study

•military employees of the RNLA between the age of 18 and 54 years

•at least 4 weeks of continuous or recurrent (at least 3 times a week) episodes of LBP pain localized

•between posterior iliac crests and angulus inferior scapulae

•availability to visit the local military health center 2 times a week during 10 consecutive weeks, with

•no more than two sessions of absence due to job-related activities (e.g. military exercise, course,

leave)

•willingness to abandon other treatment interventions for the lower back during the intervention

period

•signed informed consent

Exclusion criteria

•spinal surgery in the last 2 years

•specific treatment for LBP in the last 4 weeks (e.g. physiotherapy, manual therapy)

•severe LBP which hinders in performing maximal isometric strength efforts

•specific LBP, defined as herniated disc, ankylosing spondylitis, spondylolisthesis or other relevant

•neurological diseases