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Has Anyone Tried The McKenzie Method?
Good morning / afternoon, everyone,
I received some good news from a second spine surgeon I just saw this past week. He reviewed all of my imaging, read the reports, and gave me a quick exam. He told me I do not need another surgery (phew!), and he actually said, "Even if you wanted me to, I wouldn't operate", which was some nice candor to hear from a top surgeon.
He gave me a book on The McKenzie Method (there are several books, this one specifically for back issues), and referred me to another Physical Therapist he works with.
Has anyone tried this method? If so, did it work or not? What suggestions would you have for someone just starting to use this method?
Thank you,
Marc
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@marcd2k Is this method for things like neuropathy?
@heisenberg34 I am not an expert on the method, and I just searched for this topic. This is what I found: "The McKenzie Method works for neuropathy only if a mechanical problem in your spine—such as a herniated disc or pinched nerve—is causing the nerve symptoms. It does not work for systemic or metabolic types of neuropathy like diabetic peripheral neuropathy or chemotherapy-induced nerve damage."
Depending on which type you have, this could benefit you as well. Please ask your doctor, or if you have a physical therapist that's even better to verify this information.
@marcd2k Thanks. Good to know. Appreciate your getting back to me.
I have chronic back pain due to spondylolisthesis at L5-S1. I have tried many PTs and exercises over the years. Unfortunately the McKenzie method does not work at all for me, in fact it increases my pain. This is because it focuses on back extension and not on back flexion. I have had much better results with the Williams Flexion exercises, which often relieve my back pain. It all comes down to... everyone is somewhat unique in what will help them or not. I would definitely try to check with a professional who knows what they are doing. Many PTs pushed the McKenzie method on me and caused me to have worse pain than ever. But for some people, it could certainly help. The trick is to find someone who really knows what they are talking about. The PT who told me to use Williams was right for me, the ones who told me to follow McKenzie were were wrong for me. P.S. If you are checking out Williams and McKenzie exercises, you might want to also check out the McGill exercises.
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1 Reaction@heisenberg34 You're welcome. The more we communicate, the more we will find out about our condition(s). Have a great weekend,
Marc
@arflmi33 Good morning, and thank you for the information. A couple of things I found out after my first day going through the McKenzie movements;
1. I had spinal fusion surgery at L5-S1 last November, so coming up on 8 months ago. Like you mentioned, I cannot do the back extension movements because of the fusion.
2. There is an Acute Management section in the McKenzie Method book for people that have too much pain to do the original movements. It guides you through different body positions to find the best one for you.
I will be trying the alternate movement instructions today. And I will also be looking into the Williams Flexion exercises you mentioned. Thank you again for sending this information.
Have a great weekend,
Marc
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1 ReactionYes. The exercises really help but they typically aren’t a quick fix.
@bswpb Thank you for replying. I had only heard of the method from my wife finding it when she had a back issue, so I wanted to ask a diverse community their opinion. I'm in three of the groups with Mayo, and there seems to be a pattern similar to what I have already seen here in the other groups as far as percentages of successful surgeries.
Hi, I have used the McKenzie Method for lower back pain and it worked for me, but I didn’t have a serious back issue. That being said, my Physical therapist, who I am seeing now for a knee issue, recommends the McKenzie Method for back problems.
@layla123 Thank you for replying, this is good to know, have a great weekend!