OBJECTIVE: A meta-analysis of relevant cohort studies was performed to investigate the efficacy of aerobic exercise for the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). METHOD: A range of electronic databases were searched: Medline (1966 to 2013), the Cochrane Library Database (issue 12, 2013), Embase (1980 to 2013), CINAHL (1982 to 2013), Web of Science (1945 to 2013), and the Chinese Biomedical Database (1982 to 2013), without language restrictions. The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, visual analog scale, and heart rate, sit-and-reach test, and maximum oxygen consumption were used to evaluate the efficacy of aerobic exercise. Meta-analysis was performed with the use of the STATA statistical software. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. Eight clinical cohort studies with a total of 310 CLBP patients were included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The results of this meta-analysis indicated that CLBP patients exhibited positive decreases in scores on the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (SMD 0.44; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.68; p < 0.001), Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (SMD 1.03; 95% CI 0.67 to 1.39; p < 0.001), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (SMD 1.35; 95% CI 0.34 to 2.37; p = 0.009), and McGill Pain Questionnaire (SMD 0.32; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.56; p = 0.011) after aerobic exercise. It was also observed that aerobic exercise could markedly reduce the visual analog scale score for pain of CLBP patients (SMD 0.75; 95% CI 0.48 to 1.02; p < 0.001). Nevertheless, this study's findings showed that aerobic exercise had no effects on heart rate, sit-and-reach test, and maximum oxygen consumption of CLBP patients (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The current meta-analysis provides reliable evidence that aerobic exercise could effectively diminish pain intensity and improve the physical and psychologic functioning of CLBP patients. Thus, aerobic exercise may be a good choice in the treatment for CLBP.

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