My Thoughts on Using the McKenzie Method (MDT)
Written by: Corey Kim, Co-owner and Physiotherapist at Break Free Physiotherapy and Wellness
I started out in my career very eager to learn physiotherapy as a craft so I’ve taken a lot of courses in the last 7 years. Most of the things I’ve learned have provided great value to my clients, but there is one thing I’ve learned that helps the majority of my clients and provides long term value: The McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy.
What is it?
The McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) is an awesome way to find the source of your problem through repeated movements and objective testing. An exciting part of this treatment is the potential to rapidly reverse your condition; this includes rapidly changing your range of motion, decreasing your pain and accelerating the return to activities you love. One of the other amazing things about MDT is that I can teach you how to maintain and prevent the same injury from happening again in the future. I’ll definitely go into more detail about these things below. But first…
Is seeing someone trained in MDT right for you?
Here are some reasons or signs that might lead you to seek physiotherapy by someone trained in MDT:
Your improvement is variable and not consistent
It’s difficult to understand your pain and what you can do to change it
You don’t have concrete ways of testing your improvement
Conventional stretching and strengthening programs are not helping
You want to find the source of your problem
You’ve tried all other types of physiotherapy, chiropractic and massage with no real change
Does this already sound like you and want to try MDT? Book an assessment with Physiotherapist Corey Kim at Break Free Physiotherapy in London, Ontario.
Okay you’ve got my attention, but why does it work so well?
There are a lot of good reasons why it’s reliable!
It uses the scientific method
Test > Treat > Retest. We use range of motion, strength or your ability to perform a task in clinic as a baseline. Then we provide you with a movement to repeat and check to see if it made you better! Simple but effective!
It’s collaborative and centered around you
You don’t solely rely on the physiotherapist to apply a treatment to you. You are working together as a team to find out the source of your problem. Without your input, it becomes much more difficult to help you reach your goal. I love how it becomes more of a dialogue of how you can work together, and it’s truly centered around what is most important to you.
There is good evidence behind MDT
MDT is the most researched treatment methodology out there! This study here was one of the biggest ones completed, which points towards the spine being the culprit of a lot of arm and leg problems. There are even statistics that show what percentage of leg or arm problems could be coming from the spine!
Could it be from my spine?
Have you ever heard the saying “the human body is all connected”? There’s a chance that your pain could be coming from the spine, or the actual area where you are feeling pain, but it’s hard to tell unless we test it thoroughly. Our physiotherapists can help you find the source of your problem using MDT. We systematically rule out different areas that could be causing your pain.
It’s a system to help rule out serious problems
MDT is a framework that helps categorize your problem into different subgroups. Based on how you describe your problem and how you move in clinic, we can decide if you need to try physiotherapy or see a specialist. I believe MDT Therapists are musculoskeletal care specialists that can help you find out what you need if it’s not physiotherapy. If we can’t help you, we’ll certainly do our best to find someone who can.
It lowers the chance of reinjury
“Give someone a fish and they will eat for day. Teach someone how to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.”
Cheesy as this sounds, MDT is created in a way to help you manage the problem on your own! Once you’ve learned the tools, if you start noticing your problem, you know how to solve it! We also provide movements to help prevent the problem from happening again. If you keep up with your maintenance program at home, there’s a good chance you’ll stay pain free for a long time.
Final Thoughts
I love seeing people get better, it’s really fun. My passion is to set people free from their injuries long-term so they can flourish in life. There have been some very magical moments where we find a rapidly reversible problem with repeated movements and my clients look at me with wide eyes and bewilderment followed by excitement. I still find it hard to contain myself when I see it happen time and time again.
A lot of my clients will often think it’s magic, which reminds me of that iconic line in Harry Potter:
“Yer a wizard, Harry!”
If you’re looking to find out if you have a rapidly reversible condition and if MDT may work for you, click here or call the clinic (519-850-3733) to book an assessment with Corey today.
