Many patients and therapists alike have the misconception that the Mckenzie method of Mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT) is just for disc problems in the low back and neck. In this post, we describe why that is not accurate.
1. It’s Patient centered
Patient centered care has become a bit of a buzzword in healthcare lately, but MDT does more than pay lip service. A cornerstone of the MDT assessment and treatment process is self care, or teaching the patient what they can do to take care of themselves. There is no reliance on a device, a table, or a doctor. True healthcare value can only happen when the patient knows how to manage their problems on their own.
2. Inter tester Reliable
The biggest factor driving increased healthcare costs in musculoskeletal problems is inability of different doctors to produce consistent diagnoses. How can anyone know what the best course of treatment is for a problem when we don’t agree on what the problem is? MDT has repeatedly shown good to excellent inter-tester reliability in research, and the reliability improves as the tested clinicians training increases. Meaning you should rely on certified practitioners, just like us at Axial Spine & Wellness
3. It doesn't rely on advanced imaging
#2 drives #3. As we mentioned, doctors across the board aren’t great at consistently pinpointing what is wrong when people have joint pain. This leads to ordering advanced imaging, most commonly MRI’s, in order to see what is wrong. Unfortunately, due to false positive findings, this may increase the cost of care with little improvement of care outcomes. Spending more without feeling better is never a good option. MDT is great because it allows for great outcomes without requiring unnecessary tests and imaging.
4. It fits perfectly with and makes chiropractic adjustments safer
This one may surprise people, but MDT and chiropractic really compliment each other in a lot of ways. Historically, chiropractors look to the spine first. At times, we rely too much on treating the spine to affect problems that seemingly have no connection, and that can get us into trouble. But MDT has shown that several problems of pain in the shoulder, hip, and other areas of the extremities can often have a source in the spine. How does it make chiropractic safer? By starting with patient generated forces. If self mobilization of the lumbar spine improves symptoms, it gives a green light to start using clinician generated forces, such as mobilization or manipulation. If a patient worsens with self mobilization, adjusting the spine may not be the best idea.
5. It makes outcomes predictable
One of the most frustrating things for doctors and patients alike is not being able to get everyone better. It’s a fact of life that not every patient who walks in the door will find relief with our treatment. What is great about MDT, is that It doesn’t take long to see the patterns of a patient who will get better and one who will not. This allows us to have frank conversations with patients before they’ve sunk too much time and money into their care in our office, which leaves fewer patients dissatisfied with our services.
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