Orthopaedic review
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The McKenzie approach to evaluating and treating low back and neck pain is an exciting development in clinical medicine. A thorough mechanical assessment as described by McKenzie is informative and appropriate for all such patients and identifies an individualized self-treatment program that is often dramatically successful. ⋯ The assessment process and McKenzie's classification of low back pain syndromes--postural, dysfunctional, and derangement--are described. Therapeutic regimens emphasizing patient self-treatment for the current episode are presented, with the long-range goal of preventing recurrences.