Diagnostic Approaches to Low Back Pain - Comparing Maitland, McKenzie and Movement Impairment Syndromes

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Original Editor - Katherine Portas, Lea Cobham and Anj Leung as part of the Nottingham University Spinal Rehabilitation Project

Top Contributors - Kathryn Priest, Katherine Portas, Angela Hiu-Wai Leung, Kim Jackson, Lea Cobham, Lucinda hampton, Admin, Candace Goh, 127.0.0.1 and Evan Thomas  

Introduction   

Physiotherapists use a range of techniques to assess and diagnose low back pain. The most commonly used in the UK are those of Geoffrey Maitland (mobilisations), Robin McKenzie (derangement, dysfunction) and Shirley Sahrmann (movement impairment). (For extensive details on each approach, please see the links above for the relevant Physio-pedia pages. A short summary will be provided for each below).

Determining which approach is best to use, in what circumstances and with which patients, can be confusing, especially for students and newly qualified clinicians. Furthermore, clinicians rarely use just one approach, and can often use these in combination with other modalities such as acupuncture or massage (Gross et al, 2010).

This page aims to clarify each of the systems, to suggest their benefits and contraindications (? pros and cons - what's the long-hand of this?), and compare them using a generic case study. This will hopefully enable the reader to begin to make up their own mind, based on the evidence and the experiences of practising professionals.

Basic Concepts and Summary of Techniques

Maitland's Mobilisations

Geoffrey Maitland first described his concept of mobilisations and manipulations in 1965. It is a passive mechanical approach that aims to move synovial joints ("passive arthro-kinematic motion"; literally 'joint-moving') and their surrounding tissues. This can be applied both to the spine and to the extremities, with the goal of reducing pain and stiffness and restoring correct alignment and function (REF).

A mobilisation is a controlled oscillatory repeated movement of the joint (REF). Mobilisations are set at five grades, varying in amplitude of movement and force against resistance.

Grade I - Small amplitude movements at the beginning of range of movement, against no resistance (pain gating effect)

Grade II - Large amplitude movements, through range up to a feeling of resistance(also pain-gating effect)

Grade III - Large amplitude movements, shallowly into resistance but not to the full feeling of restricted movement

Grade IV - Small amplitude movements, deep into resistance to begin to increase the range of motion of the joint

Grade V - High velocity, low amplitude thrust to a joint, beginning at the end point of resistance of the joint with decreased range (commonly called a 'manipulation' as opposed to a 'mobilisation').

Although these grades appear quite specific, Maitland himself wrote, as recently as 2005, that adaptations to technique will always need to be made as every patient is different and presents with different symptoms.

Suggested sections (please comment on):

• Relevance - the usual patient that this suits?
  
• Any controversy -
  

• Evidence compared to other techniques
  

Naik et al (2007) suggested that Maitland's mobilisations are more effective at improving range of movement than Mobilisations With Movement (MWMs - Mulligan approach), although MWMs are more effective if pain is the most prominent factor for the patient. They also noted that the group receiving Maitland mobilisations required more sessions before being discharged than the MWM group. However it is worth noting that this was a study on mobilisations after a Colles (distal radius) fracture.

• Chiradejnant et al (2003) found that although lumbar spine Maitland mobilisations did have an immediate pain relieving effect, the specific mobilisation performed was not important. Pain-relieving effects tended to be greater if the mobilisation was performed at lower lumbar levels rather than higher
  
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  • Pros
• Cons
• Any discussions you've found online / elsewhere that have a good debate going!

• Further resources:
  
• Further reading:
  

• References

The McKenzie Approach

Kat Portas to complete

Movement Impairment Syndromes

Lea Cobham to Complete

Suggested things to include (please add to): Anj to Complete? 

1. Case Study to suit and COMPARE all approaches
   
2. interviews with proponents of each style- to gain pros and cons and interesting viewing
   

References

References will automatically be added here, see adding references tutorial.