What is the McKenzie Method of physical therapy?

Back and neck pain can begin to take a toll on your everyday life. If you are looking for physical therapy in Smithtown NY to help control your pain, Block Chiropractic can help you today! Our masterful staff has all the tools to help relieve your back, neck, and extremity pain. One of the methods that are used by Block Sports Chiropractic & Physical Therapy is the McKenzie Method.

McKenzie Method:

The McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy is an assessment and treatment plan that specifically focuses on empowering the patient to take charge of their recovery. Physical therapy in Smithtown NY has physical therapists who have thoroughly studied the McKenzie method and can use it to diagnose your pain. There are 4 steps in the method including: 

• Assessment
• Classification
• Treatment
• Prevention

Assessment:

For the assessment, the therapist at physical therapy in Smithtown NY will meet with you to discuss your medical history and how movement affects your pain. After, the therapist will ask you to move in various ways and explain how the specific movement affects your pain. If the pain moves to the center of your back as you make these movements, there may be a better outcome for you in the end. Centralization is when the pain from the neck or extremities move to the center of the back when moving or stretching. With this information, the therapist can now categorize you into one of three sub-groups. Derangement Syndrome means there is a mechanical obstruction that keeps the joint from moving. Centralization most commonly occurs in derangement syndrome. The other groups include Dysfunction Syndrome, which comes with pain that is normally caused by soft tissue being impaired by mechanical loading and Postural Syndrome, which is when pain appears from prolonged overloading of tissue. 

Classification:

In this step, the therapist will use the identifying features of the sub-groups listed above to classify your pain. Based on which of the three sub-groups you fall into, the therapist will then create a personal exercise plan based on the grouping of your syndrome. This “exercise” plan will be mostly made up of different movements and postures used to ease your pain.  

Treatment:

Once the physical therapy in Smithtown NY has classified your pain into one of the three sub-groups, they will make a movement plan based on your syndrome. For Derangement Syndrome, the patient’s plan will have them move in a way that centralizes their pain or helps prolong the feeling of comfort. For Dysfunction Syndrome, the patient’s plan will help rebuild the soft tissue that was previously impaired. For Postural Syndrome, the patient’s plan will position their joints in a neutral position to help relieve the overload on the tissue. 

Prevention:

Now that you know your syndrome and have the tools to relieve the pain, your recovery is in your hands. Even after receiving physical therapy in Smithtown NY, you can use your plan at home. You can use your plan whenever you see fit for recovery, but by continuously using the plan, you can prevent further pain or injury from occurring. As is shown in research, back pain tends to recur. It is the mission of the McKenzie method to empower the patient to get rid of the pain themselves, no matter when it occurs. Having the ability to relieve yourself of pain in the long term, rather than just in the short term is important in preventing the pain from recurring. 

Physical Therapy in Smithtown NY:

If you think the McKenzie Method is a match for you, or if you are unsure of the McKenzie method, you can contact us today to learn more about it. At Block Chiropractic, our highly trained staff have the certifications and tools to diagnose you using the McKenzie method and help you create a plan to successfully fight your pain.