What is the McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy®

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. It has been widely used all over the world for more than 30 years.

It is an approach that is trusted and used by clinicians and patients all over the world for common back, neck and extremity joint problems. Most musculoskeletal pain is "mechanical" in origin, meaning that every day movements and postures cause pain. By a systematic evaluation of his patients, Robin McKenzie, found that certain movements and postures can often abolish pain and restore function.

MDT is a philosophy of active patient involvement and education that is trusted and used by clinicians and patients all over the world for back, neck and extremity problems. This approach continues to be one of the most researched physical therapy based methods available.

How does a MDT® assessment look like?

A key feature is the initial assessment - a safe and reliable way to reach an accurate diagnosis and only then make the appropriate treatment plan. Expensive tests such as MRI’s are often unnecessary. Certified MDT clinicians are able to rapidly determine whether the method will be effective for each patient.

MDT begins with the clinician taking a detailed history about your symptoms and how they behave. You will be asked to perform certain movements and rest in certain positions. The main difference to most other assessments is the use of repeated movements rather than a single movement. How your symptoms and range of movement changes with these repeated movements provides the clinician with information that they can use to categorise your problem.

How does a MDT® treatment look like?

Using the information from the assessment, the clinician will prescribe specific exercises and advice regarding postures to adopt and postures to temporarily avoid. If your problem has a more difficult mechanical presentation, a qualified MDT clinician may need to add hands-on techniques until you can self-manage.

The aim is to be as effective as possible in the least number of sessions. Treatment that you can perform five or six times a day is more likely to be effective in a shorter period of time than treatment administered by the clinician once or twice per week. The emphasis is on you, the patient, being actively involved. This can minimise the number of visits to the clinic. Ultimately, most patients can successfully treat themselves when provided with the necessary knowledge and tools.

Want to know more about McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy®?

More information on the McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® model can be found at the McKenzie website.

Further information on the assessment process can be found here.