Back Pain and MDT Explained

We know that life does not stop just because you are in pain. You don’t have to wait to start moving and feeling better.

If you answer yes to the following questions a MDT and SFMA assessment and treatment is what you need to improve

Quick Questions to outline of a Mechanical Back Pain assessment would be right for you

  1. Does your pain every change in intensity or location

  2. If you have pain going into your leg can the pain move to above your knee at times? 

  3. Does different movements change your pain?

But my Doctor Said my back is the worst they have ever seen, I have degenerative discs, stenosis, bulging discs? And that is why I am having pain.

How do I know I am safe to Participate?

IF your symptoms are not constantly below your knee or elbow and the pain changes (even if you always experience some kind of pain) either in location or severity of pain, chances are you can change your symptoms for the better with some kind of specific movement.

In fact those chances are in your favor with 9/10 people being able to immediately respond to some kind of movement. This movement is best identified by a specialized clinician in a mechanical specific assessment, which is achieved with a combination of McKenzie (MDT) and SFMA.

Causes of Back Pain

It is unclear the exact cause of back pain with several imaging studies and tests they have found the host of findings listed above, however they seemed to increase with age and were in people who both had and did not have back pain. 

One study found that different radiologists were finding up to 37 different results on one individuals MRI between 9 different images. None of the results were agreed upon between each of the 9 assessments, meaning these findings are relatively subjective that we as a culture are using to determine objective causes for back pain. Your imaging is not a concrete 100% guaranteed that those results are the cause of your pain.

This is why a movement is so important. On your good days do you think that the degenerative changes on your images changed? No, that is the definition of degenerative, it will only get worse. So if the symptoms are changing there must be something else going on as well. Something is moving in your back, whether ligaments, discs or muscles.

I was told there was nothing to change these symptoms other than surgery, although I am not a candidate right now.

I really just need an MRI so I can get some injections to reduce my symptoms.

I was told I have scoliosis that is causing my pain, that it is going to continue to twist and there is nothing I can do. How would this help me?

I was told it is only safe for me to walk and other light exercises to not cause any strain to my back.

Even worse: Your x-rays look normal, therefore there is nothing wrong with you and your pain can’t be that bad.

I have nerve damage from my back and that is not easy/ impossible to fix. Was given pain medication, however that is not changing anything.

I have had arthritis and degenerative discs since I was 20. I have learned to live with my pain and try to work around it.

What Does All of This Mean?

Chances are if you have had imaging taken you may have had one or more of the following results:

Disc Degeneration

Disc Bulge

Facet Degeneration

Disc Protrusion

Annular Fissure

Spondyolthesis

Presence of an L6 And many More

  • All of these are common side effects of aging, are not abnormal and are found in a lot of people of people who don’t have back pain. Meaning; These findings do not mean you are doomed to a lifetime of pain, and you have a large potential to reduce your symptoms, regardless of what the images say. If you respond to movement you CAN be helped.

A portion of Extremity pain could be coming from the Spine

Does your pain move up or down?

Is there EVER a change in the geographical location of your pain?

If yes you could be amongst a category of people that would benefit from a Mechanical Evaluation to reduce you symptoms!

47% of shoulder pain is NOT coming from the shoulder 

Lots of hip and knee pain is coming from the back (hip is 71%) Knee is 49%