McKenzie Method
- Located in 26 countries around the world
- “McKenzie is a comprehensive approach to the spine based on
sound principles and fundamentals that when understood and followed
accordingly are very successful.”
- Classifications of spinal related disorders are used to determine
course of treatment
- Based on cause and effect relationship between pain history and pain
related to repetitive tests of movement, positions and activities within
the assessment.
- Mechanical forces (Cause) and Pain response (Effect)
- Allows Physical Therapists to put patients in to subgroups to determine
a treatment appropriate to pain response.
- “Pain guides treatment.”
- Subgroups
- Postural – end range stress of normal structures
- Dysfunction – end range stress of shortened structures
- Derangement – Anatomical disruption or displacement
within the motion segment
- All three can occur in cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions
of the spine.
- Summary
- During assessment, patient is doing repetitive movements and positions
which leads to pain. The pain gives the physical therapist the ability
to place the patient into the three subgroups. From the three subgroups,
the treatment is decided for the patients.
