The McKenzie Method for back pain

The McKenzie Method is an overall program of assessment, treatment and prevention strategies (including exercise) that are developed in conjunction with a physiotherapist who is trained and specializes in the method. Many patients suffering from back pain have found significant relief by using this treatment method.

It was developed in the 1960s by Robin McKenzie; a physiotherapist from New Zealand, who believed that extending the spine could provide significant pain relief and allow people with back pain to more quickly and easily return to day-to-day function. With the McKenzie approach, physiotherapy and exercise are used to extend the spine and help "centralize" a person’s pain by moving it away from the extremities (leg or arm) to the back. Back pain is usually better tolerated than leg pain or arm pain, and the theory of the McKenzie method is that centralizing pain allows its source to be treated rather than the symptoms.

The McKenzie Method is not merely extension exercises. It is a comprehensive approach to the spine based on sound principles, research and fundamentals that when understood and followed accordingly are very successful. 

Assessment:

Unique to the McKenzie Method is a well-defined algorithm that leads to a simple classification of spinal disorders. It is based on a consistent “cause and effect” relationship between historical pain behavior, as well as the pain response to repeated test movements, positions and activities during the assessment process. A systematic progression of applied mechanical forces (the cause) utilizes pain responses (the effect) to assess changes in motion/function. The underlying disorder can then be quickly identified though objective findings for each patient. The McKenzie classification of spinal pain provides a means of separating patients into sub-groups (syndromes) to determine appropriate treatment.

Mechanical syndromes:

• Postural: end–range stress of normal structures

• Dysfunction: end-range stress of shortened structures (scarring, fibrosis, nerve root adherence)

• Derangement: anatomical disruption or displacement within the motion segment.

All three syndromes occur in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine.

Treatment:

McKenzie treatment emphasizes education and active patient involvement in order to decrease pain quickly, restore function and independence, and minimize the number of treatment visits needed at a physiotherapy or chiropractic clinic. If a problem is more complex, self-treatment may not be possible right away. Therefore, a McKenzie trained clinician will know when to provide advanced hands-on techniques until an individual can successfully manage the prescribed skills on their own.

Ultimately, most people who received the McKenzie treatment method for their back pain can successfully treat themselves when provided the necessary knowledge and tools. An individualized self-treatment program tailored to your lifestyle puts you in control- safely and effectively.

Prevention:  

Patients are taught how to self-treat their back pain and challenges. Management of these skills and behaviors also minimizes the risk of future back issues, but allows individuals to manage their treatment should symptoms re-occur.