Certification Expands Treatment Options

Photo Courtesy of MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
Jenna Holmes of MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital has earned certification in mechanical diagnosis and therapy.

Physical therapist Jenna Holmes has added to her repertoire of available services, making treatment for neck and back pain more accessible at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital.

Ms. Holmes has earned certification in mechanical diagnosis and therapy from the McKenzie Institute USA. She had to complete a series of highly advanced postgraduate courses, learning about the patient management system that has helped patients eliminate neck, back, and extremity pain. The treatment requires fewer visits compared to traditional treatments, according to a hospital news release.

“This method is different from traditional therapy because it focuses on classification into subcategories, progression of forces, patient independence, and education on preventing recurrent episodes of pain,” Ms. Holmes said. “Within a few visits we should know if therapy is going to be effective.”

This method stands out for its initial assessment component, which has become a safe and reliable way to diagnose a problem, which guides the treatment plan. Fewer expensive tests are required because the clinicians have a way to know right away whether a specific exercise treatment will work.

Ms. Holmes specializes in patients who have low back pain that radiates down the leg or neck pain that radiates down the arm. She also works with patients who have pain primarily in their extremities.

“We see many patients who only want to treat their condition with conservative measures,” she said. “Sometimes, however, we help them make decisions that lead them back to their physicians for further treatment.”

Ms. Holmes has worked as a physical therapist at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital since 2012.

For more information and one-click access to a list of resources available at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, visit their Leader Page.