Overview of McKenzie Back Exercises
The McKenzie back exercises are a type of workout routine that was first started by a physical therapist named Robin Anthony McKenzie in the 1950s and became popular in 1985. This method, also known as the Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), is often recommended by doctors to diagnose and treat different types of body pain, including lower back, neck, and limb pain. Over time, the McKenzie exercises have become popular exercises to stretch the back, while Williams exercises, named after Dr. Paul C. Williams, typically involve bending the lower back.
The McKenzie method is widely recognized as a successful program for back pain. It encourages self-treatment by improving posture and repeating specific exercises frequently. The core idea of the McKenzie method for back pain is to categorize non-specific back pain into specific groups based on how a patient’s symptoms react to different physical forces. These groups include postural syndrome, dysfunction syndrome, derangement syndrome, or “other”. The treatment plan depends on which group the patient’s condition fits into. The McKenzie method gives importance to a concept called “centralization phenomenon” in dealing with spinal pain. It means that pain starting from the spine refers to farther regions of the body and then comes back to the spine through targeted repetitive movements. The doctor uses this information to recommend specific exercises and provide advice on appropriate postures to adopt or avoid.
In the McKenzie method, the patient performs these exercises about ten times a day at home, as opposed to one or two visits to a physiotherapist in a week. The program insists that if normal function is not restored, the tissue will not heal, and the problem will continue.
Regarding the classification, the postural syndrome is pain that comes from the mechanical deformation of soft tissue or blood vessels due to long periods of sustained postural stress. The dysfunction syndrome is a condition where the pain results from the mechanical deformation of soft tissue that is structurally impaired due to injury, inflammation, or degeneration. The derangement syndrome is the most common type of pain syndrome and is caused by the displacement of joint tissue, which in turn affects the normal joint positioning and causes pain and difficulty in movement. Finally, the non-mechanical syndrome is a category that covers symptoms that do not fit into the other mechanical syndromes, indicating other known medical conditions.
Anatomy and Physiology of McKenzie Back Exercises
The intervertebral discs are like round joints in your spine that allow for movement in different directions. These allow you to bend forward, backward, sideways, and rotate. The inside part of these discs can sometimes mess up and move out of place. This can cause back pain or even pain in other parts of your body along the nerve’s path, depending on how much and where it moves. This can also happen when nerves in the spine are squeezed.
If this displaced part is moving within the disc during a backward bending movement, this is typically linked to a cause of pain. Activities like having a bad posture can put stress on the soft tissues around the spine and cause them to change shape.
To help with an increase in bending forward, and to go back to or keep a healthy curve in the lower back, a specialist named McKenzie suggested exercises that focus on bending backward.
Why do People Need McKenzie Back Exercises
McKenzie exercises are a set of physical activities recommended for people who experience a certain type of back pain known as the centralization phenomenon. This means that the pain starts in the outer parts of your body and gradually moves towards the center or midline of your back.
Setting up these exercises depends on the individual patient’s ‘[directional preference’](https://www.spine.org/KnowYourBack/Prevention/Exercise/McKenzie-Therapy#:~:text=McKenzie%20therapy%20helps%20you%20learn,helps%20you%20get%20moving%20again.), which is the specific movement or position that makes their pain feel better. If your back feels better when you lean back or extend your spine, for example, then your McKenzie exercises will involve similar movements.
This tailored approach ensures that the exercises are effective and provide the most relief for each person’s specific type of back pain.
How is McKenzie Back Exercises performed
If you see a physical therapist who uses the McKenzie Method, they might give you special exercises based on a concept called “centralization.” This simply means that the exercises they choose for you are designed to reduce pain and symptoms that have spread into your arms or legs, bringing them back to your spine or center of the body.
Many people respond best to exercises that require bending backward or “spinal extension,” so your therapist might recommend exercises that focus on this. Here are some examples of these kinds of exercises:
1. Flat Stomach Lying: You lie down flat on your stomach.
2. Elbow Prop: From lying flat on your stomach, you lift your upper body by propping yourself up on your elbows, causing your spine to bend backward.
3. Hand Prop: Similarly, instead of propping yourself up on your elbows, you use your hands with your arms fully straightened, creating a sharper bend in your spine.
4. Standing Backward Bend: You stand up straight, put your hands on your lower back, and gently bend backward.
Your physical therapist may also suggest exercises that target other movements of the spine like bending forward, sideways, or rotating. They choose these exercises based on what they think will help you the most.
What Else Should I Know About McKenzie Back Exercises?
Research has shown that when pain consolidates or centralizes to one area, it’s a good sign for recovery. On the contrary, if your pain doesn’t centralize, it could indicate that treatments won’t work as effectively.
One method that doctors often use to assess and categorize lower back pain is the McKenzie way. It’s been found to be one of the most reliable methods for assessing lower back pain.
While this method might not be the ultimate method for reducing pain and disability in people with fresh or new back pain, there is credible evidence that shows its effectiveness over other methods when it comes to reducing both pain and disability in people with chronic or long-lasting back pain.
Interestingly, McKenzie exercises have also shown to be effective for issues related to the neck. For instance, one study found that these exercises significantly improved the neck posture of individuals who had their heads leaning forward.
