July 2012 Newsletter: McKenzie Assessment for Low Back Pain
If you have been experiencing low back pain, buttock pain, leg pain, or numbness and tingling into the leg, early physical therapy intervention can be helpful. A licensed physical therapist that has been educated in the McKenzie Method will perform the examination.The McKenzie Method is a comprehensive and logical step-by-step process used to evaluate your problem quickly. The PT will start by taking a thorough history to identify your symptoms, factors that aggravate and reduce your pain, functional limitations and any red flags. During the physical examination they will take baseline measurements of your lumbar spine range of motion, posture, and assess the effect repeated motions have on your symptoms. If indicated they will evaluate your sensation, muscle strength, reflexes and nerve tension. After gathering this information the PT will classify your condition by the level of pain or limitation that results from certain movements or positions. They will then develop a treatment plan based on your classification to address your limitations. The McKenzie method focuses on educating the patient and self management procedures so the patient is able to treat themselves once they are discharged. A McKenzie assessment can eliminate the need for expensive and/or invasive procedures. See the attached link for information about a recent study published on early physical therapy intervention for low back pain.
http://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/NewsNow/2012/5/29/SpineStudy/