MDT Physical Therapy

Looking for physical therapy in Sarasota? Dr. Moscow is the only Sarasota Chiropractor who is certified in Medical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) within a 50-mile radius of and is one of only two providers who are certified in Sarasota County.

What is MDT Physical Therapy?

The McKenzie Method of MDT is a proven method of assessment, classification and treatment for all musculoskeletal problems, including pain in the back, neck and extremities (i.e., shoulder, knee, ankle etc.), as well as sciatica, sacroiliac joint pain, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, muscle spasms and intermittent numbness in hands or feet.

MDT was developed by world-renowned expert physiotherapist Robin McKenzie in the 1950s. MDT is fully supported by research and is an exercise-based approach of assessment, diagnosis and treatment. The treatment principles of the McKenzie Method promote the body’s potential to repair itself without the use of medication or surgery.

Why MDT?

MDT is both cost and time effective.
Chiropractors that practice MDT can more accurately understand the presentation and the behavior of your symptoms.
MDT helps your doctor determine the most appropriate and effective treatment plan.
Eliminate symptoms and restore full function.
Feel empowered to self-treat and prevent recurrences.

How does MDT Physical Therapy work?

MDT Physical Therapy is comprised of four primary steps: Assessment, Classification, Treatment and Prevention.

Most musculoskeletal pain is “mechanical” in origin, which means it is a result of abnormal or unusual forces or mechanics occurring in the tissue. Most musculoskeletal pain occurs due to poor movement patterns, activity or positioning. Since most pain is caused by a mechanical force, it makes sense that there is a mechanical solution. The MDT system is designed to identify the mechanical problem and develop a plan to correct or improve the mechanics and thus decrease or eliminate the pain and functional problems.

In the simplest form, this may mean that moving in one direction may provoke or worsen the pain and moving in the opposite direction may eliminate or reduce the pain and restore function. This is known as Directional Preference. Some patients may have pain just at the end of movement or with certain functional movements like throwing or stair climbing. The McKenzie assessment explores these different positions and movements, how the patient performs them, and the response to these movements. Interpreting this information, the clinician determines which of the movements and posture becomes the treatment as well as the necessary exercise dosage.

Steps of MDT Physical Therapy

Assessment

Dr. Moscow will take a detailed history about your symptoms and how they behave. You will be asked to perform certain movements and rest in certain positions. The main difference to most other assessments is the use of repeated movements rather than a single movement. How your symptoms and range of movement changes with these repeated movements provides the clinician with information that they can use to categorize your problem.

Classification

Each syndrome is addressed according to its unique nature, with specific mechanical procedures, including repeated movements and sustained postures.

Treatment

Using the information from the assessment, the clinician will prescribe specific exercises and advice regarding postures to adopt and postures to temporarily avoid. Sometimes Dr. Moscow may need to add hands-on techniques until you can safely and effectively manage the exercises on your own. The aim is to be as effective as possible in the least number of sessions. The emphasis is on you, the patient, being actively involved. This can minimize the number of visits to the clinic. Ultimately, most patients can successfully treat themselves when provided with the necessary knowledge and tools.

Prevention

By learning how to self-treat the current problem, you gain knowledge on how to minimize the risk of recurrence. You can also rapidly deal with symptoms if they recur, putting you in control of your treatment safely and effectively. Persisting problems are more likely to be prevented through self-maintenance than by passive care.