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Table 4 Primary and secondary outcomes

From: Education to keep the abdomen relaxed versus contracted during pilates in patients with chronic low back pain: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Outcome

Measurement

1st) Pain intensity

The Brazilian version of the 11-point Numerical Pain Scale (NPS) [31, 32], which varies between 0 and 10 points, where 0 is “no pain” and 10 is “the worst pain imaginable” where individuals should report pain intensity based on the last 7 days;

2nd) Disability

The Brazilian version of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) [33], which has 24 statements involving activities and pain situations, to which the patient is instructed to answer “yes” only to those described in the assessment day, and each answer corresponds to one point;

3rd) Perception of global improvement

Perception of Global Effect Scale (PGES), 11 points ranging from −5 (“much worse”), 0 (“no change”) to + 5 (completely recovered) [31]. For all measures of perceived global effect participants will be asked: “Compared to the start of your first episode, how do you describe your low back pain in the past few days?”. A highly positive score indicates greater recovery, while a negative score indicates worsening of symptoms;

4th) Specific functionality

Patient-specific functional scale (PSFS) [31], which consists of an interview in which the patient chooses three important activities whose execution is difficult or impossible due to low back pain. For each activity, a score of difficulty ranges from 0 (unable to perform) to 10 (able to perform at the same level as before the problem).