09/07/2026
Robin McKenzie’s first historic presentation regarding shift correction occurred to medical doctors in Europe in European Federation Of Manual Medicine’s annual meeting in Monte Carlo in 1970.
McKenzie demonstrated how correcting a patient’s "lateral shift" could instantly centralise and relieve sciatic leg pain.
This European presentation was a monumental turning point. Over the years he build a system, which is strong in clinical reasoning.
It’s not about just filling a form or ticking the points of relevance. Rightly said by Robin McKenzie, it’s about hearing the patient as the truth is hidden in him. It’s about a clinical reasoning par excellence in a structured evaluation.
As clinicians while hearing the patient’s story, it is our duty to unmask this by probing with relevant questions to unmask this truth for the greater benefit of patients, for them to be empowered to self manage.
I saw a marathon runner Monday morning last week. Completing the history, the examination of change of posture showed symptoms getting more centered.
This contrasted, as examining an observation for shift showed there was a contralateral left shift which had most points for relevance.
The history being well done, directed the way to go. There were very clear clues in it. Lateral was to be tested first. If we followed the symptoms change with posture change we would see the red signal.
But this was not going to be very easy as his left thigh symptoms had developed recently. Rightly as hypothesised from history, symptoms from right went to left at correction.
All thanks to some wonderful learning process of two decades that I have been exposed to from veterans like late Philburchell,
and my diploma mentors, I was able to circumvent this challenge with the correct movement, load, force and range, educate the patient on why and how much of the movements he has to perform and what is the result he should expect out of it.
Outcomes were great. A week later review showed just a minimal shift, better glides, no right thigh symptoms, and just a bit of discomfort in left butt with better functions. The patient was also less anxious, fearful and looked forward to running marathons again.
