McKenzie method shoulder pain solutions make great season opener Published April 20, 2015 92nd Medical Operations Squadron FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- While many are welcoming back the baseball season, many are also dealing with unwelcome shoulder pain. You might have more in common with those ballplayers than you think. A 2002 study revealed 79 percent of baseball pitchers developed shoulder damage without showing any symptoms. These issues can catch up, but you can toss out the idea that surgery is always necessary. Shoulder pain accounts for 1.5 million visits to orthopedic surgeons each year. It recurs or is persistent in up to 50 percent of people. But, it doesn't have to be that way. Shoulder pain is often due to a mechanical problem within the joint. The McKenzie Method® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy® (MDT), a unique patient management system of assessment and self-treatment, often resolves pain in just a few visits. So, don't believe the myths that only surgery or injections can help, an arthritic condition makes treatment pointless, or the condition can simply be ignored. Contact the Fairchild Physical Therapy clinic to be evaluated by a MDT clinician to help you get back in the game this spring. There's no need for a primary care provider referral. Call (509) 247-5882 to set up an appointment today or access the walk-in clinic daily from 8 to 11 a.m. Lt. Col. Troy McGill, the 92nd Medical Operations Squadron physical therapy flight commander, is a MDT clinician. He is the only Air Force physical therapist who has attended the 18-month McKenzie Residency Program in assessment and treatment of neck, back and extremity disorders. He is one of 80 medical providers in the U.S. to hold diplomat status with the McKenzie Institute International. McGill said the McKenzie Method is a philosophy of active patient involvement and education for back, neck and extremity problems. The key distinction is its initial assessment component -- a safe and reliable means to accurately reach a diagnosis and only then make the appropriate treatment plan. Rarely are expensive tests required, as certified MDT clinicians have a valid indicator to know right away if patients can be helped.