Why is exercise prescribed for people with chronic low back pain? A review of the mechanisms of benefit proposed by clinical trialists.

Background: Exercise is recommended for the management of chronic low back pain (CLBP). Trialists have proposed numerous mechanisms to explain why exercise improves pain and function in people with CLBP, but these are yet to be synthesised.

Objective: To synthesise the proposed mechanisms of benefit for exercise in people with CLBP.