MCKENZIE BACK EXERCISES

Course overview

THE MCKENZIE BACK EXERCISES BELONG TO AN EXERCISE PROTOCOL PIONEERED BY PHYSIOTHERAPIST ROBIN ANTHONY MCKENZIE IN THE 1950S AND POPULARIZED AROUND 1985.THE MCKENZIE METHOD, ALSO KNOWN AS MECHANICAL DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY (MDT), IS WIDELY USED AS A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF A VARIETY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING LOWER BACK, NECK, AND EXTREMITY PAIN. OVER TIME THE MCKENZIE EXERCISES HAVE BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH SPINAL EXTENSION EXERCISES, AS OPPOSED TO WILLIAMS EXERCISES (NAMED AFTER DR. PAUL C. WILLIAMS) WHICH HAVE BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH LUMBAR FLEXION EXERCISES. THE MCKENZIE METHOD HAS WIDE ACCEPTANCE AS AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM FOR BACK PAIN. IT STRESSED SELF-TREATMENT THROUGH POSTURE CORRECTION AND REPEATED EXERCISES MOVEMENTS AT END-RANGE PERFORMED WITH HIGH FREQUENCY. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE MCKENZIE BACK EXERCISES, THEIR INDICATIONS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTHCARE WORKER IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN.