Looking for a credentialed McKenzie therapist in the Salt Lake City area? Work one-on-one with Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT, at our Holladay clinic. We assess how your back or neck responds to movement, practice your starting plan together and build toward the activities you want back.
Start with a Free Case Review to discuss your goals and whether a one-on-one assessment in Holladay fits. We’ll reply by phone or text to arrange a time.
Prefer support online? Explore virtual health and wellness visits.
Your first PT visit: 60 minutes, one-on-one with Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT
McKenzie certified · No referral needed
In-person PT at our Holladay clinic, serving Greater Salt Lake City. Virtual coaching from anywhere.
Bring the exercises you have tried and the everyday task you most want back. That gives us a useful place to begin.
Google review: Esther K.
“Emily was so helpful in addressing my chronic back pain.”
DPT, Cert. MDT
Your story comes first with Dr. Emily
Emily’s early work in neurological rehabilitation shaped her interest in movement, pain and what people want to get back to.
Emily holds the McKenzie credential in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (Cert. MDT). At your first 60-minute visit in Holladay, you work one-on-one with her. Your history and response to repeated movements help her decide what to practice and what to change; extension is not automatically the right direction. You learn what to notice between visits so the plan can be reviewed against daily life.
Meet Emily and explore her approach · Request a Free Case Review to discuss how to understand which movements help you.
Watch how a movement response guides the next step
McKenzie care is more than choosing an exercise from a list. This example shows why we pay attention to what happens to your symptoms before progressing a movement.
An example of choosing movement by its response
Dr. Emily demonstrates a progression from lying on your stomach to supported extension for some types of back-related leg pain. The useful part is the response: a movement should help your symptoms, not repeatedly push them farther down your leg.
Key points from the video
- Dr. Emily demonstrates a progression from lying on the stomach to elbow support and a press-up.
- She explains that this example fits some sciatica presentations coming from the low back.
- Her instruction is to continue only if it helps the symptoms and stop if it does not.
If this movement increases pain, sends symptoms farther into an arm or leg, or causes dizziness, stop and ask us about a better option. After surgery or a fracture, follow your treating clinician’s movement guidance.
Google review: Kim P.
“She quickly identified my back and leg issues within just a few appointments, leading to immediate improvements in my condition.”
What would make care worthwhile for you?
Think about what you have already tried, which changes lasted, and the activity you still miss. Bring those answers to your assessment so we can connect the examination to a goal that matters to you.
Your first PT appointment is one-on-one with Dr. Emily at our Holladay clinic, serving Greater Salt Lake City.
What happens during a McKenzie assessment?
Your account is part of the assessment: when symptoms began, what changes them, where they travel and what you want to do again. Emily brings her examination skills; you bring the experience of living with the symptoms. We use both to choose which movements and positions to test, explain what changes and agree on a manageable plan to practice.
- Discuss your history and goals. Bring relevant imaging reports, previous treatment information and questions. Medical history and warning signs help determine whether PT is an appropriate next step.
- Observe your response to movement. Dr. Emily may assess repeated movements or sustained positions and compare how you feel and move before and afterward.
- Choose and explain your next steps. Your plan may include specific movement practice, changes to daily activities, strengthening or coordination with another clinician.
A directional preference means a particular movement direction produces a helpful response. Centralization describes symptoms moving from farther down a limb toward the spine. These observations can inform treatment; neither is a self-diagnosis or a guarantee of recovery.
Which symptoms can be assessed?
People seek assessment for different reasons. The diagnosis on a scan is only one part of the picture.
- Recurring or persistent low back pain that affects sitting, lifting, work or exercise.
- Sciatica and radiating leg symptoms, with attention to changes in sensation or strength.
- Disc-related symptoms and questions about an MRI report.
- Neck pain and arm symptoms that need an individualized plan.
- Walking limitations associated with spinal stenosis.
How McKenzie care connects with pain education and strength
Pain education helps put a worrying scan or familiar flare in context. Strength and activity practice build toward work, lifting or recreation. We choose these parts of care around your examination and goals, so you understand how each contributes to the life you want back.
What you should understand before leaving
Your first 60-minute appointment should give you a clear starting point, with time to ask questions and practice one-on-one with Dr. Emily.
- Your movement: why we chose it, the starting amount and what a helpful response looks like.
- Your daily task: one practical way to make an activity more manageable while you build capacity.
- Your next goal: the strength, endurance or activity demand we are working toward.
- Your review plan: what to notice, when to check in and when new symptoms need another assessment.
What results has McKenzie care shown in back-pain research?
What can matching an exercise to your back change?
In an older two-week randomized trial, people whose assessment found a directional preference had average back pain fall from 5.9 to 2.5 out of 10 with matching exercises, compared with 6.0 to 4.3 with general exercises. The finding supports checking which movement helps before choosing a routine.
Study context: 230 people were randomized and 201 provided analysable follow-up; 29 were lost to follow-up. The selected group and short follow-up limit what this can predict for you. These are study findings, not MMPT outcomes.
A review of five trials in chronic low-back pain with directional preference also supports assessing a helpful direction with a credentialed therapist. Certainty was low to moderate, and a long-term pain advantage over other care was not established. We review whether the plan helps your daily activities, rather than assume the method will suit everyone.
Pain education helps us discuss why symptoms can vary and why a painful movement is not automatically a measure of damage. We still take new or worsening findings seriously. For persistent symptoms, see McKenzie care and chronic back pain.
Different conditions require different decisions. For example, scoliosis care addresses a curve pattern, while postoperative rehabilitation follows the surgical team’s precautions. MDT does not replace those considerations.
What progress looks like, and how we choose follow-up
A helpful movement response can sometimes appear during the assessment. That is a starting point: we then check whether the change lasts and makes sitting, walking, driving or another meaningful task easier.
As that task becomes manageable, we progress strength and activity around your goals. For a walk, that could mean the route, hills and recovery afterward; for lifting, the movement and load you want to handle confidently.
We choose follow-up from your findings and response rather than a fixed number of visits. If improvement is not carrying into your day, we reassess the direction, amount of practice and wider plan. Read about McKenzie treatment expectations and questions to ask when previous PT has not helped.
Meet your physical therapist
You work one-on-one with Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT. Her McKenzie credential is in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, an assessment and treatment approach that uses your movement response to guide care. Your first 60-minute PT visit gives us time to examine, explain and coach your starting exercises. Visit us in Holladay, serving Greater Salt Lake City, or ask about virtual coaching.
What does Cert. MDT mean? The credential follows postgraduate McKenzie coursework and written and practical examinations. It reflects training in assessing movement responses and developing an individualized plan. Read the McKenzie Institute’s explanation of its credentials.
How do I choose a McKenzie therapist near me?
Look for a clinician who can explain their McKenzie training, examine your individual response and show you what to practice and monitor. A useful assessment includes a plan for what changes if an exercise does not help. Dr. Emily Warren holds the Cert. MDT credential, and your first individual PT visit is 60 minutes.
Our clinic is at 4890 Highland Dr in Holladay, serving Greater Salt Lake City. Bring the treatments you have tried and one activity you want back. Start with a Free Case Review to discuss fit, including whether local PT or an appropriate virtual option makes sense.
MMPT is a cash-pay, out-of-network practice. We can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurer; reimbursement depends on your plan. Read how payment and insurance work, or bring your questions to your Free Case Review.
Common questions
Are all McKenzie exercises back extensions?
No. The McKenzie Method uses your history and response to repeated movements or sustained positions to guide a plan. Extension is one possible direction, not the treatment for every disc, sciatica or neck problem. Emily checks where symptoms go and whether a useful task becomes easier, then practices the selected movement with you. If a movement repeatedly sends symptoms farther into an arm or leg and they stay worse, stop that exercise and ask for guidance rather than adding force or repetitions.
Can I do McKenzie exercises on my own?
An online exercise list cannot establish which movement or dose fits your symptoms. If you have a prescribed plan, follow its instructions and discuss changes with your clinician. Our back-exercise guide explains movement selection and questions to ask.
Can a virtual visit help?
Virtual coaching from anywhere supports movement education and wellness goals. If you need clinical assessment or rehabilitation, we confirm whether virtual PT is available for your location and needs. Some examination findings require in-person care or medical assessment. We can help you choose the format before scheduling.
Does this replace a surgical opinion or medical assessment?
No. Physical therapy can be one part of care. The appropriate next step depends on the condition, symptoms and examination; Dr. Emily can recommend medical evaluation when needed.
When should I seek urgent help?
New bladder or bowel control changes, numbness around the groin or saddle area, or severe or worsening weakness in both legs require emergency assessment. Do not wait for a PT appointment. For other concerning changes, contact a medical clinician promptly. See our back-pain warning-sign guide.
Learn more
- McKenzie Institute: what the method involves
- Neck exercise assessment and guidance
- Persistent pain and hypersensitivity
Ready to discuss a plan? Request a Free Case Review and tell us whether you prefer an in-person or virtual appointment. A case review does not replace an examination.
Understand what helps, then practice it together
If you are curious about McKenzie care, bring the movements you have tried and the activities you miss. We’ll assess your response, explain the findings and practice a starting plan so you know what to do between visits.
In your Free Case Review, we’ll listen to what you want back, answer your questions and help you decide whether care with Mindful Movement fits. Send a request and we’ll contact you by phone or text to arrange a time.
Dedicated one-on-one PT with Dr. Emily Warren, DPT, Cert. MDT—McKenzie certified. No referral needed. Your first PT visit is 60 minutes for assessment, explanation and a starting plan practiced together. The Free Case Review is a conversation before care.
In-person care at our Holladay clinic, serving Greater Salt Lake City. Virtual coaching from anywhere.
Call/text (385) 332-4939.