Table 2 Baseline characteristics for total sample and subsamples ‘LBP recovery’ and ‘LBP non-recovery’

Demographic factors

 Age

49 ± 15

49 ± 15

50 ± 15

 Gender (female)

102 (41%)

51 (41%)

48 (42%)

 Educational level (low^b)

147 (60%)

70 (56%)

72 (63%)

 Other health issues (yes)

56 (23%)

27 (21%)

29 (25%)

 Physical activity level (0–10; 0 = not active; 10 = very active)

6.1 ± 2.0

6.1 ± 2.0

6.0 ± 2.0

Pain-related factors

 Pain severity in past week (0–10; 0 = no pain at all; 10 = worst pain imaginable)

6.9 ± 1.7

6.8 ± 1.9

7.0 ± 1.4

 Frequency of previous LBP in past 3 months (0–10; 0 = never; 10 = always)

3.7 ± 3.0

2.8 ± 2.7

4.6 ± 3.0

Disability of previous LBP episode (Likert scale)

 Not applicable (no previous episode)

42 (17%)

30 (24%)

11 (10%)

 Not disabling

4 (2%)

3 (2%)

1 (1%)

 Somewhat disabling

33 (13%)

22 (18%)

10 (9%)

 Moderately disabling

71 (29%)

32 (25%)

36 (32%)

 Very disabling

83 (34%)

33 (26%)

48 (42%)

 Extremely disabling

14 (6%)

6 (5%)

8 (7%)

Type of onset:

 Sudden

161 (65%)

93 (74%)

66 (58%)

 Gradual

86 (35%)

33 (26%)

48 (42%)

Work-related factors

 Paid job (yes)

193 (78%)

98 (78%)

88 (77%)

 Current absenteeism due to LBP

45 (23%)

22 (22%)

23 (26%)

 Physically demanding work (0–10; 0 = not heavy/ monotonous; 10 = extremely heavy/ monotonous)

4.8 ± 2.7

4.4 ± 2.7

5.3 ± 2.5

 Job satisfaction (0–10; 0 = not satisfied at all; 10 = very satisfied)

7.3 ± 1.7

7.4 ± 1.8

7.2 ± 1.6

 Work ability (0–10; 0 = not able to work; 10 = lifetime best)

6.5 ± 2.0

6.6 ± 1.9

6.4 ± 2.0

Psychological factors

 Pain coping (0–10; not capable to reduce pain at all; 10 = highly capable to reduce pain)

5.8 ± 1.9

6.0 ± 2.0

5.7 ± 1.9

 Recovery expectation (0–10; 0 = not likely to recover in 3 months; 10 = very likely to recover in 3 months)

7.7 ± 2.3

8.2 ± 2.1

7.0 ± 2.4

 Resilience (ability to recover after difficulties)

 Always

54 (22%)

36 (29%)

18 (16%)

 Almost always

85 (34%)

52 (41%)

29 (25%)

 Mostly

67 (27%)

29 (23%)

36 (32%)

 Regular

20 (8%)

4 (3%)

16 (14%)

 Sometimes

4 (2%)

1 (1%)

2 (2%)

 Occasionally

13 (5%)

2 (2%)

11 (10%)

 Rarely

4 (2%)

2 (2%)

2 (1%)

STarT Back items:

 1. Radiating pain in leg(s) (yes)

95 (38%)

43 (34%)

48 (42%)

 2. Shoulder/neck pain (yes)

105 (43%)

46 (37%)

57 (50%)

 3. Walking slowly (yes)

123 (50%)

45 (51%)

57 (50%)

 4. Dressing slowly (yes)

181 (73%)

100 (79%)

78 (68%)

 5. Fear of movement (yes)

68 (28%)

35 (28%)

32 (28%)

 6. Psychological distress (yes)

82 (33%)

40 (32%)

41 (36%)

 7. Catastrophizing (yes)

14 (6%)

4 (3%)

8 (7%)

 8. Depressive mood (yes)

96 (39%)

44 (35%)

50 (44%)

 9. Bothersomeness (very much/extreme)

138 (56%)

77 (61%)

59 (52%)

STarT Back risk profile:

 Low risk

113 (46%)

60 (48%)

48 (42%)

 Medium risk

113 (46%)

57 (45%)

55 (48%)

 High risk

21 (9%)

9 (7%)

11 (10%)

Physiotherapists’ expectation:

 Recovery within 3 months

237 (96%)

123 (98%)

107 (95%)

 Non-recovery within 3 months

9 (4%)

3 (2%)

6 (5%)

Received physiotherapy-treatment

N = 208

N = 102

N = 99

 Number of sessions

3.7 ± 2.2

3.5 ± 1.9

4.0 ± 2.4

 Number of weeks

3.9 ± 3.1

3.5 ± 2.5

4.4 ± 3.6

 Applied interventions:

 Patient education/advice

203 (98%)

98 (96%)

98 (99%)

 Exercise therapy

101 (51%)

46 (45%)

52 (53%)

 Manual therapy

134 (64%)

71 (70%)

57 (58%)

 Active mobilization

142 (68%)

67 (66%)

73 (74%)

 Passive mobilization

77 (37%)

40 (39%)

37 (37%)

 Massage

83 (40%)

43 (39%)

43 (43%)

 Dry needling

16 (8%)

6 (6%)

8 (8%)

 Other

25 (12%)

1 (1%)

0 (0%)

 Referral to other discipline

2 (1%)

0 (0%)

2 (2%)