MDT in Action
Case Study: Leg Pain
I want to take a little time to share an example of how Physical Therapy can work when you have an experienced therapist that listens to your individual story.
Randy (not his real name) was complaining of debilitation left leg pain - unable to walk much or go down stairs, interfering with job duties.
Randy: "My left leg hurts when I walk more than a few hundred yards and I can't go down stairs like I usually do. This has been going on for a few months." (This is a fairly common complaint and the diagnosis the patient receives can be sciatica, knee pain, trochanteric bursitis, patellofemoral pain, etc.) This particular patient has been diagnosed with sciatica.
McLaughlin Judd Physical Therapist: Upon observing and measuring motions of the spine,\hip, and knee it is determined that the movement that produces symptoms most like the patient's complaint is full knee extension (straightening) of the left leg and both knee extension and bending are stiff and sore. All hip and spine motions are not stiff and have no effect at all on the patients pain or disability.
Treatment Strategy: By repeating the various knee motions several times, the patient and their therapist notice that by fully straightening the knee and holding it straight several times both knee bending and extending motions improve significantly and gradually become less painful. The patients is instructed in how to perform this motion at home and instructed to take 2 minutes to perform the motion four times a day and to return in a few days to check on their progress with walking and using stairs.
Next Treatment: Patient reports that they are able to walk further without pain and demonstrates much better ability to walk down stairs. The patient is instructed to continue their home exercise and add a strengthening exercise as long as it isn't painful to perform. Range of motion is rechecked and found to be full and only painful when full straightened and pressure is applied.
Last Treatment: Patient returns and reports he is pain free and has not had any knee problems with his leg at work. Range of motion is completely pain free now. His home exercise is reviewed and patient is discharged from physical therapy.
Review: The patient was able to identify a safe way to improve the motion in his leg and reduce the pain in his knee so he will be able to independently address the problem if it is to return, and has a simple exercise he can perform occasionally to maintain the health of his knee and allow him to maintain an active lifestyle. No machines or medications were necessary.
Not all knee or leg pain situations respond to physical therapy in this way but if you don't receive a thorough evaluation by an experienced therapist, these easier solutions can be missed and the result can be less effective and more expensive treatment. Advanced MDT (Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment) training an d experience allows this type of condition to be identified and properly and efficiently treated. If you need physical therapy and want a thorough evaluation and exercises to relieve your pain give us a try.
