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McKenzie Method Physiotherapy

McKenzie Method physiotherapy at Kingsbridge Physiotherapy Centre in Mississauga assesses and treats back pain, neck pain and extremity problems with a personalized exercise plan.
McKenzie Method service at Kingsbridge Physiotherapy Centre

What Is the McKenzie Method?

Also known as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), the McKenzie Method is a philosophy of active patient involvement and education. In fact, practitioners and patients around the world trust and use it for back pain, neck pain and extremity problems. It is an evidence-based approach. Its key difference is the initial assessment, which is a safe and reliable way to reach an accurate diagnosis first. Only then does the clinician make the right treatment plan. As a result, certified McKenzie clinicians have valid indicators. These show right away whether the method will work for each patient, and exactly how.

Why Assessment Comes First

For treatment to succeed, you must first receive a proper evaluation. After all, pain is a symptom, not a diagnosis. That is why assessment is the first step.

Evidence has shown that the initial McKenzie assessment is as reliable as costly diagnostic imaging (such as X-rays and MRIs) in finding the source of the problem. This is true when competent MDT clinicians perform it. In addition, it quickly identifies who will and who won’t respond to MDT treatment principles.

Through a series of repeated movements and positions, certified MDT practitioners assess two things. These are the symptomatic response and the mechanical response. As a result, this shows what makes symptoms better or worse. Next, practitioners classify patients and set up an effective set of exercises based on a “directional preference”. Typically, this takes only 3 to 5 visits.

Three Steps to Success

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Step 1: Assessment

MDT gives a safe, logical guide to the best treatment strategy for each patient. What makes the McKenzie Method unique is that it begins with a thorough history and testing of repeated movements, to identify clear patterns of pain response that are objective, reproducible and reliable.

The most common and meaningful pattern is Centralization. This is when pain that has spread from the center of the back or neck down the leg or arm reverses, returns to the center of the back or neck, and eventually stops. Whether the pain is acute or chronic, if Centralization occurs during this step-by-step assessment, treatment is most successful and lasting.
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Step 2: Treatment

The McKenzie system is based on the patient’s own ability to use movements and forces to abolish pain and restore function. A series of individualized McKenzie Method exercises is prescribed based on the patient’s responses during assessment and, most importantly, on the identified Directional Preference: the movements that will centralize or abolish pain (for example, extension or flexion, or right or left lateral movement).
Patients who respond well to MDT can successfully treat themselves and cut down their clinic visits, when they are given the knowledge and tools to control their treatment safely and effectively.
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Step 3: Prevention

Patients who stick to the prescribed treatment protocols are less likely to have ongoing problems. By learning to self-treat the current problem, patients gain hands-on knowledge to lower the risk of recurrence and to quickly manage symptoms if they return.
Need a McKenzie lumbar or cervical roll? Or McKenzie’s self-help books, Treat Your Own Back or Treat Your Own Neck? Give us a call.

Creating Independence

McKenzie MDT is a proven methodology:
  • Backed by years of research, evidence and practice
  • Low cost, fast and effective, even for chronic pain
  • Non-invasive: no needles, no scalpel
  • Self-directed: we work with you and teach you
  • Be in control of your own symptom management
  • Gain lifelong pain management and prevention skills
The goal of McKenzie MDT is to promote the body’s potential to heal itself, with less reliance on medication, passive treatments or repeated clinic visits.

Same-Day Appointments Possible

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