I may use this particular repeated movement test as part of my orthopedic evaluation for elbow and/or forearm complaints. If this specific movement positively impacts symptoms and signs, this may then be the effective treatment in the case of a diagnosis of elbow joint derangement.

There are many different movements an elbow joint derangement could need. The key is to use repeated movement testing to isolate the specific one that resolves a person’s symptoms & restores normal pain-free motion, strength, and function. This is called the joint’s directional preference.

Not all elbow or forearm symptoms are coming from a tendon or muscle (like golfers elbow or tennis elbow). Sometimes it’s coming from a mechanical joint derangement in the elbow joint itself or in the relevant spinal joint. To figure out the root cause diagnosis, in addition to any muscle or tendon orthopedic special tests (OSTs), I also use McKenzie's repeated movement testing as part of my orthopedic evaluation.

A case series of 3 patients sheds light on the diagnosis and treatment of elbow joint derangements. Note that all 3 patients met the accepted criteria for lateral epicondylalgia (aka tennis elbow), yet when repeated movement testing was used as part of the orthopedic evaluation, it was instead determined that specific repeated movements performed repeatedly restored the elbow joint to normal. Signs and symptoms from tendon disorders and joint disorders can overlap, but repeated movement testing differentiates them.

"The application of mechanical diagnosis and therapy in lateral epicondylalgia," J.R. Maccio et al.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4984815/

#orthopedics #elbow #elbowpain #golferselbow #tenniselbow