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Table 2 Exclusion Criteria
| Exclusion criteria | Rationale | Source* |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer (other than basal cell or squamous cell cancer of skin) | Back pain due to, or possibly result of, specific disease/condition | A, TI |
| Discitis | A | |
| Disk disease | A | |
| Fracture of vertebra | A, TI | |
| Infectious cause of back pain | TI | |
| Scoliosis, severe or progressive | A, TI | |
| Spinal stenosis | A, TI | |
| Osteoporosis | A, TI | |
| Spondylolisthesis | TI | |
| Sciatica | Back problem of complicated nature, including medico-legal issues | TI |
| Seeking/receiving compensation/litigation for back pain | TI | |
| Surgery, recent, in the past 6 months | A, TI | |
| Surgery, previous low back, within 3 years | TI | |
| Pregnancy | Safety not confirmed | TI |
| Stroke, recent in the past 6 months | Condition might make it difficult to receive or complete the treatments | A |
| Paralysis | A, TI | |
| Physically unable to undergo massage sessions (e.g., cannot lie prone for 45 minutes) | TI | |
| Psychoses, major | A, TI | |
| Schedules do not permit attending treatment sessions at times they are offered | TI | |
| Vision problems, severe | TI | |
| Hearing problems, severe | TI | |
| Lack of transportation | TI | |
| Seizure disorder | Condition might contribute to increased risk of severe adverse event | A, TI |
| Fibromyalgia, severe | Condition/circumstance might confound treatment effects or interpretation of data | TI |
| Rheumatoid arthritis/Ankylosing spondylitis | A, TI | |
| Other disabling chronic conditions (e.g., disabling heart or lung disease, diabetic neuropathy, receiving treatment for hepatitis) | TI | |
| Planning on seeing health care provider other than primary care provider for low back pain | TI | |
| Dementia | Condition would make it difficult for fully informed consent | A |
| Unable to read or speak English | TI | |
| Has had massage in the past 12 months for any reason | Wants massage for free, or potential for preconceived notions about massage possibly confounding data | TI |
| Low back pain has lasted < 3 months | Low back pain not chronic | TI |
| Bothersomeness of pain score < 3 | Back pain too mild to be able to detect improvement | TI |
| Hypersensitivity to touch or loss or sensation | Inappropriate conditions for massage | TI |
| Cardiovascular compromise | A, TI | |
| Deep vein thrombosis | A, TI |
