Demographic data	SMT	Recommended interventions
Age, mean (SD) years (s = 11, n = 2409)	47 (14)	47 (14)
Sex, n (%) female (s = 11, n = 2412)	667 (57)	684 (55)
Body mass index, mean (SD) (s = 8, n = 1434)	27 (5)	27 (5)
Ethnicity, n (%) white (s = 5, n = 861)	409 (91)	388 (88)
Lifestyle factors
Physical activity, (%) (s = 6, n = 824)
Low (1 or less than once a week)	115 (32)	166 (36)
Medium (2–3× a week)	146 (40)	166 (36)
High (more than 3×a week)	100 (28)	131 (28)
Smoking, n (%) non-smokers (s = 6, n = 1173)	451 (80)	453 (75)
Alcohol use, n (%)	*	*
Socio-demographics
Marital status, n (%) married; living with a partner (s = 6, n = 1173)	397 (69)	404 (68)
Level of education, n (%) low/middle (s = 7, n = 1672)	600 (68)	534 (68)
Income, n (%)	*	*
Employment status, n (%) at work (s = 9, n = 2126)	818 (78)	770 (72)
Nature and severity of LBP
Duration of LBP, n (%) less than 12 months (s = 7, n = 1252)	121 (20)	149 (23)
Leg pain, n (%) (s = 5, n = 1038)	320 (59)	281 (57)
Previous LBP treatment received, n (%) (s = 5, n = 930)	258 (28)	218 (23)
Previous physiotherapy for low back pain received, n (%) (s = 5, n = 771)	64 (8)	72 (9)
Previous SMT for low back pain received, n (%) (s = 6, n = 988)	209 (21)	111 (11)
Used medication for low back, n (%) (s = 6, n = 1018)	200 (20)	269 (26)
Non-specific, n (%)	*	*
Comorbidities	*	*
Type of treatment	*	*
Psychosocial factors	SMT	Control
Depression, n (%) (s = 5, n = 1297)	43 (6)	75 (13)
Treatment preference/expectations	*	*
Primary outcomes
Pain
Combined pain score at baseline, mean (SD), (s = 12, n = 2441)	49.5 (22.3)	49.8 (21.6)
Combined pain score at one month, mean (SD), (s = 10, n = 1948)	34.2 (23.0)	35.8 (23.9)
Combined pain score at three months, mean (SD), (s = 9, n = 1673)	27.92 (23.0)	32.1 (24.3)
Combined pain score at six months, mean (SD), (s = 8, n = 1321)	27.35 (23.1)	32.3 (23.9)
Combined pain score at twelve months, mean (SD), (s = 10, n = 1816)	31.80 (26.8)	33.3 (25.4)
Functional status
RMDQ sum score at baseline, mean (SD), (s = 9, n = 2174)	9.0 (5.0)	10.1 (5.4)
RMDQ sum score at one month, mean (SD), (s = 8, n = 1760)	5.6 (5.0)	6.7 (5.4)
RMDQ sum score at three months, mean (SD), (s = 8, n = 1648)	4.8 (5.1)	5.5 (5.3)
RMDQ sum score at six months, mean (SD), (s = 8, n = 1348)	5.0 (5.4)	6.3 (6.0)
RMDQ sum score at twelve months, mean (SD), (s = 7, n = 1575)	5.4 (5.7)	6.2 (5.92)
Secondary outcomes
SF36 Physical Component Scale of SF36 at baseline, mean (SD), (s = 5, n = 1362)	40.7 (7.2)	41.1 (7.6)
SF36 Physical Component Scale of SF36 at one month, mean (SD), (s = 3, n = 865)	44.1 (7.9)	45.7 (8.1)
SF36 Physical Component Scale of SF36 at three months weeks, mean (SD), (s = 4, n = 1154)	46.7 (8.2)	46.9 (8.5)
SF36 Physical Component Scale of SF36 at six months, mean (SD), (s = 5, n = 839)	47.3 (7.8)	47.9 (7.7)
SF36 Physical Component Scale of SF36 at twelve months, mean (SD), (s = 5, n = 1249)	46.4 (8.6)	46.8 (8.8)
SF36 Mental Component Scale of SF36 at baseline, mean (SD), (s = 5, n = 1362)	43.8 (9.1)	45.1 (9.6)
SF36 Mental Component Scale of SF36 at one month, mean (SD), (s = 3, n = 865)	45.5 (8.8)	46.9 (8.8)
SF36 Mental Component Scale of SF36 at three months, mean (SD), (s = 4, n = 1154)	46.9 (9.0)	47.3 (9.5)
SF36 Mental Component Scale of SF36 at six months, mean (SD), (s = 5, n = 839)	46.9 (9.1)	48.0 (8.9)
SF36 Mental Component Scale of SF36 at twelve months, mean (SD), (s = 5, n = 1249)	45.7 (8.9)	46.2 (10.0)
Medication use at baseline, n (% medication use) (s = 3, n = 668)	145 (22)	216 (32)
Medication use at one month, n (% medication use) (s = 3, n = 646)	84 (13)	146 (23)
Medication use at three months, n (% medication use) (s = 3, n = 626)	78 (13)	132 (21)
Medication use at six months, n (% medication use) s = 3, n = 593)	67 (11)	143 (24)
Medication use at twelve months weeks, n (% medication use) (s = 3, n = 582)	82 (14)	141 (24)

SD = standard deviation; s = number of studies; n = number of participants; * combining categories was not meaningful or no data available.