The Human Extremities: Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy

The ability to treat musculoskeletal disorders affecting the soft tissues and joints of the body is a relatively modern concept. Common painful disorders such as Repetitive Strain Injury, ‘housemaid’s knee’, ‘tennis elbow’ and general physical dysfunction were previously accepted as part of life’s ageing process. This text by Robin McKenzie and Steven May draws upon current published scientific evidence which overwhelmingly identifies controlled movement and exercise as the most effective method of alleviating pain and the restoration of function in patients with common musculoskeletal disorders. The text relies upon the same self-treatment philosophies and self-management strategies that were first described by Robin McKenzie in his first textbook The Lumbar Spine, Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, published in in 1981. At that time those concepts and philosophies were greeted with scepticism by the medical fraternity and occasionally with ridicule but since then much has changed in the world of musculoskeletal care.

The McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® is now one of the most studied diagnostic and treatment systems for musculoskeletal pain in the world, has received international recognition and acclaim, is taught and practised by medical professionals globally and might legitimately be described as the prototype for the ideal non-invasive self-management treatment protocols as promulgated in National Clinical Guidelines. This book is well-researched essential reading for all health professionals specialising in the identification, treatment and management of common musculoskeletal conditions affecting the extremities.