The McKenzie Method
Fremont Therapy Group’s newest physical therapist, Katelin Sievert, is certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), also known as the McKenzie Method. Katelin’s patients have seen the results first hand! Here’s what a few of them had to say.
“Wonderful! I am 100% improved. I can do things now that I haven't been able to do for 10 years,” said Lee Blake. “Without the therapy I received, I would not be at the stage I'm at. It has been very beneficial, and I will be continuing with instruction from my therapist so that I can improve further.”
“I have recovered from my injury very rapidly thanks to a complete exercise routine as prescribed and the attention to details,” said Ken Clanton.
The McKenzie Method is a globally recognized leading treatment for low back, neck and extremity pain. It’s one of the most commonly used treatment approaches around the world, currently used in 40 countries. It is a well-researched approach for all musculoskeletal issues. The exercise-based treatment approach focuses on specific exercises for each patient.
It focuses on the following issues:
- Shoulder
- Knee
- Low back pain
- Ankle
- Sciatica
- Sacroiliac joint pain
- Arthritis
- Degenerative joint/disc disease
- Muscle spasms
- Headaches
- Neck pain
- Numbness in arms/hands, legs/feet.
Three Fun facts:
- The McKenzie Method has been shown to reduce surgery rates, AVOID surgical interventions, and prevent recurrence of pain/symptoms.
- The exercises can be done anywhere! Patients learn to use their own skills and resources through the knowledge and guidance of Katelin. Patients do not need to buy or use expensive equipment. The system is designed to help patients have more independence.
- Patients can see results in as little as two to three visits! Each individualized treatment uses active therapy sessions. Research has shown that these tailored exercise programs, monitored by a certified MDT, can achieve better outcomes.
So, how does it work?
Our certified therapist customizes a plan for each patient by getting a detailed history of the patient’s symptoms and how those symptoms behave. Then, she repeats movements and positions and observes how the patient’s symptoms and range of motion changes. At that point, she prescribes the patient specific exercises with her guidance. The patients can then learn how to self-treat their current problem gaining hands-on knowledge to help minimize the chance of it coming back.
We asked Katelin about her favorite success stories. Here are a few!
I had a young patient (in middle school) who came to me with chronic knee pain. She had had knee pain for a few years, had been run through a bunch of tests and physical therapy in a few different places but without any answers or results. It limited her ability to participate in sports, go to summer camp, do stairs, and walk in school. I can still remember the look on her face the first time she went up a set of stairs without pain; it was shock and excitement all in one. Stairs were a goal of ours to have be pain free, but I did not expect that type of reaction from her. By the end of her treatment she was able to get around school all day without pain and was able to re-join the swim team and was participating in meets.
One of my first success stories I remember was right after my first McKenzie course. I had a man come in, who could hardly move his neck. I began doing treatment with him and by the end he was able to look completely over both shoulders. He as well had that look of amazement on his face and to be honest, I was even amazed at how quick and well he responded to the treatment.
Katelin spent two years working on her certification. The certification wasn’t easy. It took a lot of studying and She took 4 courses which totaled around 110 hours.
If you are interested in hearing more about Katelin’s specialty, or if you are experiencing pain and want to see if therapy is right for you, schedule up to 15 minutes one-on-one with Katelin or one of our PTs with no charge to you. Call our Lander clinic at 332-5240.