Guest Commentary

2016 MDT Americas Conference: Destination Miami!

Attention MDT clinicians! Mark your calendars for August 5-7, 2016 for the 2016 MDT Americas Conference!  The luxurious Intercontinental Hotel on Biscayne Bay in the beautiful, cosmopolitan city of Miami, Florida will host our conference. Our Program Committee, along with our Conference Chair, Richard Rosedale, PT, Dip. MDT, have assembled an excellent balance of relevant platform presentations and workshops to provide the MDT practitioner a stimulating experience. On behalf of the Program Committee, I heartily invite you to come to Miami for the next in our ongoing series of excellent, intimate MDT Regional Conferences.

Our 2016 theme will be “Enduring Principles, Emerging Applications”.The conference program reflects acknowledgement of the visionary, lasting principles established by Robin McKenzie and the ever increasing application of these principles to the changing healthcare environment. A small number of clinically focused platform presentations combine with a number of breakout workshops in an effort to engage and guide MDT clinicians to more comprehensively explore and successfully utilize the full potential of the McKenzie Method of MDT with the broad spectrum of musculoskeletal patients.  With this combination of problem solving, practical workshops and didactic presentations, MDT clinicians of all levels should expect to gain clear clinical advances and have a greater depth of understanding in the practical application of MDT principles.

Platform presentations on topics such as tendinopathy management, the ‘OTHER’ MDT classification, clinical prediction rules, the role of MDT clinicians as primary contact practitioners, and more will give attendees relevant big and small picture information to positively affect their clinical practice.

Back by popular demand, based on feedback from our 2013 MDT Conference in Denver, we have planned a full program containing six breakout workshop sessions.  Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in each workshop, eliminating the need to choose amongst them! The workshops will be facilitated by 42 MDT Faculty and Diplomates focused on providing all participants with challenging tasks designed to improve clinical reasoning and manual therapy skills to enhance clinical outcomes. The workshops are described below:

  1. Understanding and Communicating MDT as a Robust Biopsychosocial Approach Method. Attendees interpret psychosocial influences in relation to MDT and apply a biopsychosocial approach to enhance clinical outcomes.
  2. Mobilize to Centralize: MDT Procedure and Technique Workshop. Participants will be guided through the proper application of selected MDT spinal procedures highlighting the correction of common errors.   
  3. MDT Extremities - The Progression: A Technique Workshop. Participants will be guided through the proper application of selected MDT extremity procedures highlighting the correction of common errors.
  4. Does Size Really Matter? The Small Joint Dilemma. MDT applications to the shoulder, knee and hip have been highlighted at recent conferences.  This workshop will focus on the application of the MDT assessment at treatment process to the ‘small joints’.  Possible joints include foot, ankle, wrist, hand, TMJ.
  5. The Dynamic Clinical Maze: Navigating the Not-So-Clear Pathways. Facilitators will provide challenging case studies for groups to work through to highlight problem areas in diagnosis and treatment of mechanical disorders.
  6. Classifying and Management Strategies Beyond the Three Syndromes. This workshop will highlight the ‘4th’ diagnostic category, OTHER, differential diagnosis and exploration of the use of MDT principles/evidence as well as evidence based approaches to management.

Pre-Conference Workshop

Due to overwhelming interest and demand experienced with the International conference this year, we will be presenting a ‘MDT and the Athlete’ preconference workshop at our Miami conference.  For those of you working with a sport/athletic population, you will gain insight into the application of MDT principles to this group.  Our workshop leaders have extensive and diverse experience in this arena. The program will feature theoretical input, interactive learning, practical sessions and role playing. This workshop will limit the number of attendees to ensure a quality experience, so be sure to register early as it will likely fill up quickly!

Complete conference details are now available online and registration is open!

I hope you will plan to join us for a wonderful conference experience in Miami. Not only will learn immediately applicable concepts and skills, the social opportunities to meet with like-minded clinicians from around the world are one of the reasons attendees come back every for every event.  I look forward to seeing everyone next year!