Robin McKenzie

Life and work

The story behind the role.

Physiotherapist whose mechanical diagnosis and therapy approach gained global influence.

The McKenzie method is a technique primarily used in physical therapy. It was developed in the late 1950s by New Zealand physiotherapist Robin McKenzie. In 1981 he launched the concept which he called "Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT)" – a system encompassing assessment, diagnosis and treatment for the spine and extremities. MDT categorises patients' complaints not on an anatomical basis, but subgroups them by the clinical presentation of patients. McKenzie exercises involve spinal extension, flexion, lateral shift, combined extension with lateral shift, and rotation with flexion motion exercises. The prescribed movement for the patient will all depend on how the patient responds to the movement. Patients often respond well spinal extension, however, the method does not shy away from other directions.

Encyclopaedic excerpts from McKenzie method; shortened for length and available under CC BY-SA 4.0.