Neck, back and extremity pain can result from your body's movement patterns or posture. Sentara experts use the McKenzie Method® to help you relieve pain on your own.
McKenzie Method: Why Choose Sentara?
Our experts are trained and certified in the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® (MDT). With MDT, specialists assess your movements to understand what causes pain and prescribe movement therapy. We use the McKenzie Method as part of your customized spine injury and back pain rehabilitation program.
McKenzie Method Treatment
The McKenzie Method is specialized therapy for the spine. This highly personalized therapy meets your unique needs. You take an active role in directing and managing your care.
Sentara's physical therapy specialists evaluate your symptoms to see if McKenzie therapy is right for you. With McKenzie treatment, we:
- Assess your symptoms: Our specialists talk with you about your history. We have you make certain movements to see if you experience symptoms and to see how your body responds.
- Classify your condition: We identify the mechanical issue (type of movement that causes pain) to decide which movements should become part of your treatment. Your mechanical diagnosis may be:
- Derangement syndrome: Pain that occurs when vertebrae move abnormally due to disc injury (problem with cushioning discs between the spine's vertebrae)
- Postural syndrome: Discomfort caused by stress on soft tissues when your body is in certain positions
- Dysfunction syndrome: Pain or movement problems that occur from scar tissue or nerve issues
- Develop a treatment plan: Our experts design specific exercises and postures for you and tell you which movements and postures to avoid. We teach you how to do these exercises on your own and advise you on how often to do them.
We teach you how to prevent pain and injury from happening again. With the McKenzie Method, you can take effectively relieve pain.
Conditions We Treat With the McKenzie Method
Using the McKenzie Method, our therapists work with you to treat pain and discomfort in the neck, back and extremities due to:
- Arthritis: Joint pain and stiffness due to osteoarthritis (bone contact when protective cartilage wears away) or rheumatoid arthritis (painful swelling resulting from autoimmune disorder)
- Degenerative disc disease: Thinning of the cushioning discs between the spine’s vertebrae
- Muscle issues: Discomfort and pain due to spasms or injury
- Nerve issues: Pain, numbness or weakness due to compressed or pinched nerves
- Sciatica: Pain that shoots from the back down the leg due to sciatic nerve compression
Benefits of McKenzie Exercises
Our specialists give you the tools you need to relieve pain and stiffness on your own. With the McKenzie Method, you can learn to manage pain without:
- Equipment or a gym
- Injections
- Surgery
Request an Appointment
Learn more about the McKenzie Method at Sentara Therapy Centers. Visit our locations.