Tag Archives: mechanical disorders

McKenzie Method

McKenzie Method: Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment

- Blog, Manual Therapy

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The McKenzie Method is a philosophy of active patient involvement and education that is trusted and used by practitioners and patients all over the world for back, neck and extremity problems.

McKenzie Method – Three Steps to Success:

1. A logical step-by-step process to evaluate the patient’s problem quickly. This mechanical examination can “classify” most patient conditions by the level of pain or limitation that results from certain movements or positions. A McKenzie assessment can eliminate the need for expensive and/or invasive procedures.

2. McKenzie treatment prescribes a series of individualized exercises. The emphasis is on active patient involvement, which minimizes the number of visits to the clinic. For patients with more difficult mechanical problems, a certified McKenzie clinician can provide advanced hands-on techniques until the patient can self administer.

3. By learning how to self-treat the current problem, patients gain hands-on knowledge on how to minimize the risk of recurrence and to rapidly deal with recurrence if it occurs. The likelihood of problems persisting can more likely be prevented through self-maintenance.

McKenzie Method

McKenzie Method: Diagnosis & Treatment

- Back, Blog, Manual Therapy

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MECHANICAL DIAGNOSIS PHASE:
This system is based on the symptomatic and mechanical responses of patients to various repeated movements or static loading forces(that is a mechanical evaluation). It allows the classification of patients into broad, rather than tissue-specific, categories and thus leads to the formulation of treatment. Rather than seeking to make a diagnosis, which is the identification of a disease by the means of its signs and symptoms, The McKenzie system concentrates on syndrome identification. A syndrome is a characteristic group of symptoms and pattern responses characteristic of a particular problem. The system is now widely used to classify and treat patients with mechanical disorders.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION PHASE:
• Explanation of problem to patient and reason for required exercise program
• Time scale
• The appropriate loading strategy, or strategies needed to manage the condition demonstrated to and practiced by the patient.
• The repetitions and regularity of exercise program explained to patient
• The expected pain response explained to patient

knee stretch

ASSESMENT PHASE:
• Symptomatic diagnosis
• Mechanical Diagnosis

PATIENT MANAGEMENT PHASE:
• Patient education component of management
• Information about the problem itself
• What patients can do to help themselves
• Information about tests, diagnosis and interventions
• Active Mechanical Therapy component:
• The specific exercises should be demonstrated to the patients, they should practice these, the expected pain response should be explained, as well as any warnings against lasting aggravation of their condition and as necessary progressions and alterations should be given.

This information was written by Hamilton Physical Therapy Services, L.P., an outpatient physical therapy group with five locations in Mercer County, New Jersey since 1978. Their modern state-of-the-art facilities are equipped to offer patients an excellent opportunity to reach their optimal functional abilities. Managed and operated by physical therapists mandates that patient care is our number one priority. For more information click here.