Apter Physio

Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment (MDT) : McKenzie Method for DISC PROBLEM

MDT or McKenzie method is a world renowned treatment method for mechanical low back and neck pain. Over 70% of the current young generation has neck pain and back pain. The pain, suffering and the cost involved in treating it is alarmingly high.

Most of these pain is mechanical (poor posture) in nature and it can be easily treated without any medications or need for MRI or surgery. But these patients considers this pain is normal and it will go away if they do stretching exercises and take simple analgesics. Unfortunately the pain tends to get worse in due course.

Early morning stiffness
Difficulty moving the neck or back
Neck pain radiating to the shoulder, arm, elbow, chest and upper back
Back pain radiating to the buttock, hip, groin, abdomen, thigh, leg and foot.
Tingling, numbness over the hand or foot/Toes
Pain after prolonged sitting or travelling
Pain during coughing or sneezing

These are some of the characteristics of mechanical pain. If these symptoms are allowed to persists, slowly structural damage may happen, which will become evident in MRI scan. Typically the cervical or the lumbar disc will be seen bulged or herniated. This disc will compress the nerves thereby the patient feels more pain over the extremities.

We do a detailed assessment ranging from history taking, movement analysis and symptom modification after repeated movement testing. Based on the findings, we classify the problem. Most of the patients will have Derangement Syndrome which occurs as a result of internal disc displacement.

This disc displacement (Disc bulge) can be rearranged (corrected) by repeated movements by which the symptoms can be resolved. We provide tips on how to sit, walk, exercise, drive etc. Patient might have to use lumbar support to maintain the alignment of the back.Specific manual therapies will be applied based on the requirement to accentuate the correction.

The highlight of this approach is that patients will be educated and empowered so that they treat themselves and knows how to prevent the same pain in the future.

If the problem is disc related, McKenzie method of treatment is the only way to address this problem. All other methods (like core strengthening, stretching, Aerobics, yoga, Ayuverdic massage) does not even address the nature of the problem and sometimes makes the condition worse.

Dr. Rajkannan isan internationally credentialed McKenzie therapist. He is the first and only McKenzie therapist in Bangalore. To know more about Mckenzie Method of treatment click here. http://www.mckenzieinstitute.org/