TREATING BACK PAIN WITH MC KENZIE EXERCISE

          A few days ago some friends complain about the same thing to me, they complained of pain in his back, and asked my advice to solve the problem. After a long question and answer, and they answered my question about back pain. I suggest to do the Mc Kenzie exercises for their back pain problems . I hope, with the Mc Kenzie exercise, can help them cope with back pain.

          Then the question is whether the Mc Kenzie? The McKenzie Method was developed in the 1960’s by Robin McKenzie, a physical therapist in New Zealand. In his practice, he noted that extending the spine could provide significant pain relief to certain patients and allow them to return to their normal daily activities.

          With the McKenzie approach, physical therapy and exercise used to extend the spine can help "centralize" the patient’s pain by moving it away from the extremities (leg or arm) to the back. Back pain is usually better tolerated than leg pain or arm pain, and the theory of the approach is that centralizing the pain allows the source of the pain to be treated rather than the symptoms.

Once you start the exercise , carefully observe whether your pain is getting better , getting worse , or staying the same , and whether the location of the pain is changing.

          In particular, if your pain was getting worse before you started the exercise and doesnt improve after the first two days, seek advice from a health professional such as a physician, physical therapist, or chiropractor.

           If any of the following situation occurs , do not begin our exercise program without first consulting a health profesional :

* if you have developed lower back pain for the first time and it is no better 10 after onset.

* If you have severe pain in the leg below the knee and you experience sensation of weakness, numbness , or "pins and needles" in a foot and the toes.

* If your lower back problem followed a recent severe accident.

* If , following a recent severe episode of back pain, you have developed bladder problems.

*  If you are generally feeling unwell in conjunction with the attack of lower back pain (that is, if you have symptoms other than back pain that began around the same time as the back pain )

               To help you determine whether you can treat your lower back pain succesfully without help from a health professional, please answer the following question :

# Are there periods in the day__ even as short as ten minutes__ when you have no pain?

# Is the pain confined to areas above the knee ?

# Are you generally worse when sitting for prolonged periods or when standing up from the sitting position?

# Are you generally worse during or right after prolonged bending or stooping, as when making a bed, vacuuming, ironing, gardening, or laying concrete.

# Are you generally worse when getting up in the morning, but improve after about half an hour?

# Are you generally worse when inactive and better when on the move ?

# Are you generally better when walking?

# Are you generally better when lying facedown ? when testing this, you may feel worse for the first few minutes but then feel better ; in this case, the asnwer to this question is yes.

# Have you had several episodes of lower back pain over tha past month or years?

             If you have answered yes to all the question, you are an ideal candidate for the self-treatment program. But were not hard graders here: there are nine question above, but if you have answered yes to only four or more of them, you have a good chance of benefitting from the program and you should begin it.

           Even you have answered yes to three or fewer of the nine question, its possible you will benefit from the  program. But to determine whether this is the case, consult a health professional trained in or, ideally, credentialed in, the Mc Kenzie Method. This provider can help you determine whether you can start the program or if, instead of our program (or in addition to it), you require a form of specialized treatment that only a health professional can provide.

     The purpose  of the exercise is to eliminate pain and , where possible, to restore normal function. Postural correction and maintenance of the correct posture should always follow the exercise.Even when you no longer have lower back pain, good postural habit  are essential to prevent the recurrence of your problem. These habits, therefore,should be followed for the rest of your life.

the progressive centralization of pain as a result of the Mc Kenzie exercise program.

 BACK EXERCISE 1

Lying Facedown

Lie facedown with your arms next to your body. Your arm should be straight but relaxed . Your head should be turned one side. Stay in this position, then take a few deep breaths, and then relax completely for two or three minutes. You must make conscious effort to remove all tension from the muscle in your lower back :without this complete relaxation, there is no chance of eliminating any distortion that may be present in the joint.

BACK EXERCISE 2

Lying Facedown in Extension

Remain facedown in the sama position you used in exercise 1.

Now place your elbow under your shoulder so that you lean on your forearm, begin by taking a few deep breaths and then allowing the muscles in the lower back to relax completely. Remain in this position for two to three minutes.

        Remain facedown

Place your elbow under your shoulder so that you lean on your forearm

BACK EXERCISE 3

Before doing this exercise for the first time, start your exercise with exercise 1, followed by exercise 2.

 Remain facedown but with your head forward rather than to the side

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Place your hand under your shoulder in the position you would use for a push-up

Straighten your elbows and push the top half of your body up as far as pain permits

At the end of the exercise, your back is extended as much possible and your arms are straight as possible.

When used in the treatment of either pain or stiffness, the exercise should be performed ten times persession.Again,exercise session should be spread evenly six to eight times throughout the day.

EXERCISE 4

Stand upright, with your feet slightly apart. Place your hand in the small of your back with the finger pointing backward.

Bend your trunk backward at the waist as far as you can, using your hands as fulcrum.

 As you do this, its important that you keep your knee straight. Once you have maintained this position for a second or two, return to the starting position. Each time you repeat the cycle of movement in this exercise, try to bend backward a little farther so that by the last repetition your back is extended as far as possible.

EXERCISE 5

 Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor or bed, you are now ready to begin exercise 5. Bring both knees up toward your chest.

Place both hands around your knees and gently but firmly pull your knees as close to your chest as pain permit.

Begin these exercisewith caution. Do only five or six repetitions persession, and repeat the sessionthree or four timess a day. As you have probably realized, once your knees are bent in this exercise, you have eliminated the lordosis. Therefore , in order to correct any  distortion that may result, this and all other flexion execise.

EXERCISE 6

Begin doing exercise 6 only after you have completed one week of exercise 5, whether or not exercise 5 has been succesful in reducing your pain or stiffness.

Sit on the edge of a steady chair. Your knees and feet should be well apart. Rest your hand on your legs. Now you are ready to begin exercise 6.

 Bend your trunk forward and grasp your ankles or touch the floor with your hands

return immediately to the starting position

EXERCISE 7
 Begin doing exercise 7 only after you have completed two weeks of exercise 6, whether or not exercise 6 has been successful in reducing your pain or stiffness.

Stand upright, with your feet well apart. Allow your arms to hang loosely by your side . then bend forward and run your finger down your legs as far as you can comfortably reach. Return immediately to the upright standing position. Each time you repeat the cycle of movement in this exercise, try to bend down a little farther so that by the last repetition of this exercise within a session you have flexed your back as much as possible and your fingertips are as close as possible to the floor.
   You must do only five or six repetition of exercise 7 per session.Session are to be repeated once or twice a day.