6 weeks, 12 sessions in total, 2 times a week of manual therapy: spinal manipulation, specific mobilisations and stretches. Manual therapy treatments are carried out by a physiotherapist with more than 10 years of experience.

In addition, 6 weeks, 5 times a week, a programme of therapeutic exercises at home: muscle strengthening and stretching, balance and coordination training, spinal stabilisation exercises.

6 weeks, 12 sessions in total, 2 times a week therapeutic exercise programme under the supervision of a physiotherapist. The exercise programme consisted of muscle strengthening and stretching, balance and coordination training, spinal stabilisation exercises.

In addition, 6 weeks, 5 times a week, a programme of therapeutic exercises at home: muscle strengthening and stretching, balance and coordination training, spinal stabilisation exercises.

6 weeks, 12 sessions in total, 2 times a week of manual therapy: spinal manipulation, specific mobilisations and stretches. Manual therapy treatments are carried out by a physiotherapist with more than 10 years of experience.

In addition, 6 weeks, 5 times a week, a programme of therapeutic exercises at home: muscle strengthening and stretching, balance and coordination training, spinal stabilisation exercises.

Pain was assessed using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) that used a 10-cm line with end-point descriptors such as 'no pain' marked at the left end and 'worst pain imaginable' marked at the right end. Patients were asked to mark a point on the line that best represented their pain at the time of the evaluation. The distance from 'no pain' to the patient's mark was then measured and recorded as the NRS score: 0 cm was defined as no pain, 1-3 cm as mild pain, 4 or 5 cm as moderate pain, 6-8 cm as severe pain and 9 or 10 cm as the worst pain imaginable.

The Oswestry questionnaire (ODI) was used to assess the impact of back pain on functional status and disability. It consists of ten questions (pain intensity, self-care, lifting objects, walking, sitting, standing, sleeping, sexual life, social life and travelling). There are six answer options for each question, and the value of each question ranges from 0 (no problems/no disability) to 5 (major problems/major disability in this area). The total ODI score is calculated as the sum of the scores for each question and the total ODI score ranges from 0 to 50. The percentage of scores is calculated as follows: sum of scores / 50 x 100 = percentage (%). The lower the score, the lower the impact of pain on functional status.

The Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire consists of 24 statements relating to daily living and physical activities such as personal care, sleep, work and walking. The scale ranges from 0 to 24, with the highest score indicating maximum functional disability.

The Schober test was used to assess lumbar spine mobility. The test is performed with the subject standing upright, arms at the sides, and the examiner locates the midline between the iliac crests, on the dorsal side, and marks the first point there. A second point is marked 10 cm above the first point. 5 cm below the first marked point, a third point shall be marked. The subject is then asked to bend forward as far as he or she can without pain and without bending the knees, and the distance between the first and the third point is measured with a centimetre tape. The test is negative if the distance between the marked points is 7 cm or more and positive if the distance is less than 7 cm, indicating limited mobility of the lumbar spine.