Clinical Conversations

Part One:

Hi. My name is Sheldon and I have been a resident here at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy for the past month. I wanted to share a case that shows the efficacy of mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT) method, when guided by certified MDT physical therapists.

Bob had been suffering from agonizing pain throughout his body from a motor vehicle accident over 6 months ago. He did not seek physical therapy or other health services because he thought the pain would naturally get better. However, over those months his symptoms grew worse and started to limit his daily function. His lifestyle also changed from being an active outdoors man to sedentary. He finally came to the office after months of suffering and didn’t really know what to expect.

Part two:

During the evaluation, we focused on Bob’s neck symptoms. We guided him through several movements to help identify his pain pattern, but Bob’s pain didn’t follow the typical pattern of a “normal” injury. Throughout the all movements, flexion (head nodding) was the only one that did not increase his symptoms. We prescribed him to do flexion of the neck every hour for 10 repetitions. After a few days for a follow up appointment, Bob’s symptoms significantly improved. We concluded that Bob fit the MDT category as flexion derangement.

Bob reports his symptoms are now nearly gone!  After just 4 sessions, he is now independent with his home exercise program. He is continuing to do strengthening exercises to increase his function. He has returned his leisurely activities with minimal pain. Bob is happy with the results and now seeking treatment for other body parts at our clinic. So if you have been suffering from pain for months without a good solution, come on in and we will help you get to the bottom of the issue.