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Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to our Spring edition of the MIA newsletter.
In this edition we discuss the International MDT Research Foundation and MDT research Task Force.
We share a systematic review involving McKenzie Method delivered by Credentialed Therapists.
Are you Considering attending a MDT course, or simply a course refresher? Check our Education Calendar.
Looking to improve or brush up on you McKenzie Techniques? Check out how you can access the videos of the MDT procedures.
Finally, enjoy the coming of Spring and the increase in daylight hours.
Mark Cheel
MIA Chairperson
Get the latest MDT theory & practice whilst networking and connecting with likeminded clinicians. Register now for our upcoming courses:
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Part B - The Cervical & Thoracic Spine |
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Part C - Advanced Lumbar Spine & Extremities - Lower Limb |
Discounts
Members
Non-members
For more details, click here.
Did You Know?
Access to the official videos of the McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® (MDT®) clinical procedures are available by subscription.
Click here for full details.
Image: Microsoft stock images
Have an idea about some MDT research but not sure how to progress it?
Interested in participating in MDT related research but not sure who to talk to?
The McKenzie USA Research Task Force (RTF) is a workgroup of clinicians and researchers committed to generating research related to Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT).
The RTF can provide advice regarding MDT research that may have the greatest impact on musculoskeletal care, as well as suggestions on research design, method, or structure.
They meet quarterly to provide updates on projects currently underway and generate ideas regarding future investigations.
You can contact the taskforce via the MII website.
Expressions of interest to be involved in the RTF can be directed to Ron Schenk: ronald.schenk@tufts.edu
Image: Moondance from Pixabay
Need some $$$ to help get your MDT research idea up and running?
The International Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy Research Foundation (IMDTRF) was established to fund original research into the usefulness and limitations of MDT.
Full details of the various grants are on the IMDTRF website.
You can also read about the work of MIA member and Diplomate in training, Lee Curtis; recipient of the 2024 Peter Wilde scholarship, for her work investigating cervicogenic headaches.
Image: IMDTRF
Is it really a shoulder problem?
The latest systematic review by Brazilian Faculty member Vicente Hennemann and colleagues, compares the outcomes of MDT, delivered by Credentialled clinicians, with other interventions.
Is MDT a panacea? Does it ‘fix everyone’?.... Of course not!
But as the results tend to suggest, it provides a very solid foundation on which to base clinical practice, and, appears to have a favourable impact on pain and disability for patients with chronic LBP who also exhibit directional preference.
Peter Schoch
Faculty
Image: Microsoft Stock Images
Vicente Hennemann, Patrícia K Ziegelmann, Miriam A Z Marcolino, Bruce B Duncan
Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy Volume 33, 2025 - Issue 2: 96-111
Link: Click here.
Objective
To determine the effectiveness of the McKenzie Method compared to any conservative interventions on pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) with directional preference (DP).
Methods
We searched six electronic databases up to September 2022. Eligible randomized controlled trials were those assessing the McKenzie Method delivered by credentialed therapists for chronic LBP with DP. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, assessed risk of bias with the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool and certainty of evidence with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework.
Results
Five trials (n = 743) were included. There was low-certainty evidence that the McKenzie Method, compared to all other interventions combined, produced clinically important reductions in short-term pain (mean difference [MD] -1.11 points on a 10-point scale; 95% CI -1.83 to -0.40) and in intermediate-term disability (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.53; 95% CI -0.97 to -0.09). Low-to-moderate certainty evidence showed that the McKenzie Method also resulted in clinically important improvements in short-term pain (MD -1.53; 95% CI -2.51 to -0.54) and disability (SMD -0.50; 95% CI -0.74 to -0.25) when compared specifically to other exercise approaches, and in intermediate-term pain (MD -2.10; 95% CI -2.94 to -1.26) and disability (SMD -1.01; 95% CI -1.58 to -0.43) as well as long-term disability (SMD -0,59; 95% CI -1.14 to -0.03) when compared to minimal intervention. Low-certainty evidence showed usually small, clinically unimportant effects in comparison to manual therapy.
Conclusion
We found low-to-moderate certainty evidence that the McKenzie Method was superior to all other interventions combined for up to 6 months for pain and up to 12 months for disability, with clinically important differences versus exercise in the short term and versus minimal interventions in the intermediate term. The only clinically important long-term effect was on disability compared to minimal intervention.
Monitor the MIA website's Calendar of Events and follow us on social media for details of further courses, as they are released.
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Part B - The Cervical & Thoracic Spine |
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Part C - Advanced Lumbar Spine & Extremities - Lower Limb |
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Case Manager Volumes 1, 2 & 3 |
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Do you have something you’d like to share with other MDT trained clinicians? If so, please get in touch! Submissions to the newsletter are always welcome and contributions contribute to MDT CPD points for members. Tell us about an interesting clinical experience you’ve had, an article you’ve read or a case study that challenged you. Submissions can be emailed to: education@mckenzieinstituteaustralia.org