MDT Case Report recently published in Manual Therapy:

Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) approach for assessment and identification of serious pathology. Manual Therapy, Volume 16, Issue 4, August 2011, Pages 406-408.

This published case report is an example of how a structured and thorough MDT evaluation, within a few visits, ruled out a mechanical disorder and revealed serious pathology, specifically a pancreatic tumor.

MDT has proven good intertester reliability when it comes to classification and don't we all just love the feeling of having classified and reduced a derangement within three visits?

What is more important is that MDT in our hands as clinicians is a powerful tool to detect which patients will benefit from therapy and which patients will not. Because at the end of the day, it's all about the quality of our alliance with our patients, remembering that their safety is our number one priority.

As MDT gains more recognition in the world of medicine, it's my hope that its ability to differentiate responders from non-responders will be widely accepted and valued, thereby resulting in the right treatment as early as possible.

Finally, I would like to thank the editors of the MDT Bulletin for finding my case report interesting enough to be mentioned for the readers.

Brian Soerensen, PT, Dip. MDT

To access the full report:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1356689X10002298

From the Editors...

The Americas region has two publications providing valuable information to support ongoing learning in MDT - our membership publication, the International Journal of MDT (IJMDT) and this newsletter - MDT Bulletin.

With a marked decrease in submissions to sustain the IJMDT, regrettably there will only be two editions published in 2011 - June and November. Earlier this year, our members were surveyed for a chance to comment on its future, and the results were mixed.

Resoundingly, members agree that the content is extremely valuable and are supportive of a continuation of some version of the IJMDT. Many of you commented on the benefits of continuing with MDT case studies, literature reviews, continued discussion of implementing MDT techniques, also gaining successful business/marketing advice. However, many were also supportive of moving to liasion with another relevant, peer-reviewed musculoskeletal journal, as it would improve the exposure of MDT. If such a collaboration with a different journal occurs, the MDT Bulletin would be the future of pure MDT topics; therefore, your input is important for our growth.

Other organizations appear to have more participation with their members sharing information. We should strive to match their success, and we seek to understand how we together can do this better within our community of MDT learners and educators.

Being in the clinic daily with patients, you are all educators and these rich experiences are prime fodder to share with your colleagues. As the IJMDT Editorial Board continues its investigation of its livelihood, we continue to welcome your thoughts and suggestions...and, of course, your submissions!

The MDT Bulletin has reached greater heights due to the leadership and dedication of our skillful editorial team to keep you informed with the latest news, business ideas and clinical insights.

Your MDT Bulletin editorial team consists of:

If you have any ideas or contributions, the team invites you to email them directly. Any insight you may have for future articles would be greatly appreciated. Let's work together to advance our knowledge, skills and the future of MDT.

MDT Therapist Volunteers in Malawi

McKenzie Institute International
New Zealand

cc: Scott Herbowy, Dip. MDT
     United States

Dear Lawrence Dott, CEO:

Thank you again for your donation of books for the Physiotherapists in Malawi. Books are extremely hard to come by and medical books are rare in the country. Most medical professionals do not have the resources or money to order such books and the shipping to Malawi is astronomical. I believe the McKenzie books donated will be so helpful in Malawi (especially the Treat Your Own Back books), since the techniques are so patient-focused and the therapists in Malawi are so few. There is approximately one therapist per 500,000 people. In the U.S., it is 1 per 1800. With so many patients to care for, many of whom walk for miles to receive care, visits are few and far between. I have attached photos for your use of the book distribution.

Here, I am pictured with Blandina Chitikata, Physiotherapist at SVK Physiotherapy in Lilongwe. She works at an outpatient clinic serving all types of patients, but most commonly back patients.

In this photo, I am pictured with a traveling volunteer therapist from Holland. She has been working
in Zimbabwe, and most recently Malawi, serving the underserved.

This is Sylvia Kambalametore, Chair of the Malawi P.T. Association and Head of Physiotherapy at the University of Malawi. She will distribute the rest of the books to therapists through the Malawi P.T. Association and at the Physiotherapy School which is in its first year of operation. The school needs so much in the way of resources, books and instructors so if you know if any such resources, please let me know.

Thank you so much for what you have done.

Sincerely,
Aimee Killeen, PT, OCS, Cert. MDT
Austin, TX, 78739