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The McKenzie method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® (MDT) is an internationally acclaimed method of assessment and treatment for spinal and extremity pain developed by New Zealand Physiotherapist Robin McKenzie.

MDT is a philosophy of active patient involvement and education that is trusted by clinicians and patients all over the world for back, neck and extremity problems as its one of the most researched physical therapy- based methods available.

Assessment is the key element of McKenzie Method® which a trained clinician rightly undertakes to classify their patients. Certified McKenzie clinicians can rightly determine if the patient would respond to exercise therapy or no, enabling the practitioner to make appropriate referrals to other specialists in a timely manner whenever necessary.

A step by step guide

The McKenzie Method® allows patients to learn the principles and empowers them to be in control of their own symptom management which can reduce dependency on medical intervention.

Assesment

Step 1

  • The first part consists of a detailed history taking about your symptoms and their behaviour.
  • At the end of history taking the clinician decides if the patient is eligible for physical examination or requires some referral to the necessary specialist.
  • The second component of the assessment is the physical examination which involves the patient to move in certain specific directions or make the patient attain certain sustained postures/ positions.
  • The repeated movement testing and sustained postures/positions helps in rightly categorizing patients.
Classification

Step 2

  • The assessment rightly helps in classifying patients into the four McKenzie subgroups namely the Derangement, Dysfunction, Postural syndrome and Other.
  • This classification is based upon the distinct features obtained from the history and the response to repeated movements and sustained postures/positions in the physical examination along with some hands-on procedures whenever necessary.
Treatment

Step 3

  • Using the information from the assessment the clinician will prescribe an individualized tailored made exercise.
  • A thorough education about the condition would be provided along with information regarding the frequency, technique and the number of repetitions to be performed.
Prevention

Step 4

  • By learning how to self-manage the current problem you gain knowledge on how to minimize the risk of recurrence.
  • Patient is educated about the future recurrences and taught how to take charge of their own aches and pains safely and effectively.