Remember the snowstorm in mid-February that closed schools and businesses for two days? Kevin Despins, age 39, will never forget it. On his way to work the morning after the heavy snowfall, his car accelerator stuck as he was heading for a major intersection. “Before I slid into the intersection, I decided to turn into a snow bank,” said Kevin, a professional photographer. The impact caused herniated discs in his neck and lower back. “After the accident, I had a lot of pain plus I had nonstop tingling sensations in my hands and feet which no one seemed to be able to help me with,” added Kevin.
Frustrations set in as the pain interfered with his photography work. “My job is with the company, LifeTouch, taking photographs of children ages 0 to 5. All day long, I am rolling around on the floor, crouching and bending over,” said Kevin. After seeing several other health care providers through the spring months, Kevin came to Twin Cities Pain Clinic in early June, where MN Physical Therapist Linnae Wagner evaluated Kevin’s pain and started him on a physical therapy approach known as the McKenzie Method.
“The goal of McKenzie treatment is to create independence from pain for the patient,” said Linnae, a certified McKenzie therapist. “It’s low-cost, fast, and effective, even for chronic pain patients. We were really pleased with how well Kevin’s pain responded to McKenzie training. Kevin was motivated by the change in his tissues and his reduced pain, and responded by staying on top of the exercises he needed to do to complete that change.”
The basis of the McKenzie system is to first take a thorough history followed by putting the patient through a series of repeated movements to identify distinct patterns of pain responses. This may not sound out of the ordinary, but the McKenzie Method - also known as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (or MDT) - has been shown to be as accurate in identifying the source of pain as X-Rays and MRIs. After Kevin’s symptoms were identified, his physical therapist started Kevin on a set of individualized exercises that centralized and abolished his pain.
Kevin made six visits for his physical therapy in Minnesota. “Linnae was fantastic. After a couple of months without having any relief, I received so much relief in one month it was unbelievable. I am pain free now, no more pins and needles, and no more pain,” said Kevin. “I will keep up the exercises every day, but it’s no problem. They are very easy to do and only take a few minutes twice a day.”
 When he started the McKenzie Method, Kevin did the exercises every two hours and gradually tapered off as his pain was relieved. “I understand it usually takes 7 to 10 months for the body to heal properly. I don’t want to start sliding backwards so I’ll keep it up because I definitely want to stay pain free,” said Kevin.
To learn more about how the McKenzie Method might help you or a friend dealing with disc herniation Twin Cities pain symptoms, come to Twin Cities Pain Clinic’s FREE Community Health Talk on Tuesday, July 12th at 5 p.m.
Twin Cities Pain Clinic is located at 7235 Ohms Lane, in Edina, just south on 70th street from Highway 100. Printable directions are on the website at www.twincitiespainclinc.com or call 952-841-2345.
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(Edina, MN) July 6, 2011 - Twin Cities Pain Clinic will hold its first FREE community talk on Tuesday, July 12 at 5:00 p.m. in its new location, 7235 Ohms Lane in Edina, Minnesota. “Promote the body’s potential to heal itself” will be the featured topic presented by TCPC Physical Therapist Linnae Wagner, a certified McKenzie therapist. The 30-minute talk will be followed by a Q & A period and a tour of the new facility. Refreshments will be served. 
