Home » Culture & Society

Who is James Cyriax, MD

Ranked #4,974 in Culture & Society, #106,611 overall | Donates to Acumen Fund, Humane Society of the United States, Save the Children, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

James Cyriax, MD

James Cyriax is my own hero.

He was a british physician, widely known as the father of Orthopedic Medicine.

Orthopedic Medicine is based on his life's work.

Orthopedic medicine is the examination, diagnosis and treatment of non-surgical lesions of the musculoskeletal system. It began in 1929 when Dr James Cyriax observed a number of patients where the diagnosis was vague and the treatment non-specific. There was no satisfactory method for testing the function of soft tissues to achieve a clinical diagnosis.

He developed a system of assessment aiming to accurately diagnose lesions of the musculoskeletal system and a non-surgical method of treatment for soft tissue lesions by employing a process of diagnosis by selective tension, which uses passive movements to test the inert structures and resisted movements to test the contractile structures.

 

Three reasons I love James Cyriax, MD

This is why I admire him and his work:

1. He was a wise logical creative thinker.

2. He was a passionate giver when it came to sharing his knowledge.

3. His relentless search for the truth in his profession, overcoming obstacles and resistance.

P.S. If you buy something from this page...

... you'll automatically be making a donation to The Acumen Fund, working to solve global poverty.

Doesn't that feel good?

Doctor James Cyriax, MD

Father of Orthopedic Medicine

Dr. James Cyriax is my hero. In my opinion he is the Einstein for Orthopedic Medicine. His books are the most complete textbooks on the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of musculo-skeletal pain and dysfunction. This textbooks are best suited for the serious student. Even though many people have tried to improve on his work, in my opinion they have all failed.
Loading

Some of my Favorite Quotes

"Every patient contains a truth...The (clinician) must adopt a conscious humility, not towards the patient, but towards the truth concealed within the patient"

"All pain has a source"
"All treatment must reach the source"
"All treatment must benefit the lesion"

The Society of Orthopaedic Medicine

Moving Musculoskeletal Medicine Forward

The Society of Orthopaedic Medicine was formed in 1979 to develop the work of Dr James Cyriax and to promote the theory and practice of orthopaedic medicine. Membership consists of approximately 1700 doctors and physiotherapists.
Society of Orthopaedic Medicine
Links to Som's website

Shout Out For James Cyriax, MD!

Share your stories, thoughts, raves...

  • Ana Mar 25, 2012 @ 4:29 pm | delete
    I am a student of physiotherapy and I need to work on James Cyriax. I wonder if you know some center in Europe to use their skills as the main rehabilitation technique. I also wonder if some descendant of James Cyriax was devoted to applying his techniques and whether any former student of Dr. that apply.
    thank you very much and excuse me for my English.
  • Rene de Bruijn Mar 6, 2012 @ 8:45 am | delete
    At the end of the seventies, last decade, I was trained by dr. Cyriax in the Netherlands. Now, 33 years later, reflecting my life as a clinician, I just can state that orthopaedic medicine enriched my medical knowledge. Ofcourse, thanks to research, not all statements of Cyriax are of value nowadays, but that's not the point. The point is that Cyriax learned PT's the process of clinical reasoning, the basis of medicine. Concepts like dural pain and the capsular pattern are unique and globalt accepted. Still, recent research, published in well known journals, supports ideas ( dural pain; painful arc concept, sign of the buttock, etcetera) that in the past did not have any body of knowledge.
    Remember that dr. Cyriax was a clinician pur sang, not a scientist. But due to his logical thinking and superb observation skills, clinical patterns, in the past described as Empirical, have been researched nowadays and proven to be of clinical importance.
    Orthopaedic medicine is not a panacae, but a very good framework in diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.
  • Laurene Marra Aug 27, 2011 @ 11:49 am | delete
    Practice of Medicine and I am desperately searching for an M.D. in the Rochester, NY, or surrounding area, who carries on this superlative care. Can anyone help me to find another amazing orthopedic, Dr. James Cyriax style, doctor, in my area? As Andy Oppenheimer states so well here, if I may quote, Dr. Cyriax "should not only have been knighted, but canonized. RIP."
  • ian stevens Jan 2, 2011 @ 11:45 am | delete
    For some simple pain problems i agree that Cyriax offers something of value but his often bombastic assertions have been challenged ....mainly by a better understanding of pain (physiologically, neurologically ) via more integrated models i.e neuromatrix and basic understanding of pathophysiology.......There is often no 'source' -particularly in chronic conditions and the reliance on injections frictions etc probably work more as a counter irritant . Current research challenges a great deal of the premise of orthopaedic medicine ....I had to learn this Cyriax approach and have subsequently unlearned a great deal of it ...so none of these people are heroes of mine (cyriax,chiro,osteo) Sandra Blakeslee,Ramachandran,Patrick Wall , Damasio,Melzack are more like heroes as they challenge dualism and present current much more plausible methods and models of understanding pain ..........
  • G. Washington Mar 21, 2010 @ 7:58 pm | delete
    Dr. Cyriax laid a great foundation for soft tissue diagnosis. For some reason, though, he did not seem to want to recognize chiropractic or osteopathy, and continuously referred in his text as these practitioners being "lay". This was Cyriax's great downfall. From what I can tell, he seemed to want to denigrate other more established osteopathic and chiropractic practitioners, and then shout at the top of his lungs that he, the great Cyriax, is the master manipulator! Truth be told, techniques he taught to physiotherapists were largely non-specific, and specificity is the key. Can we spell the word buffoon, here, can we? Excuse me, the word I believe to be spelled is blowhard - a bit more accurate. The stance obviously taken is that only an individual with MD behind his name should be trusted to relief of spinal pain. Now let's all spell irrational - I know a roofer that gives better adjustments than most others I have been treated by. Chapter 28 in his text goes a long way to discredit the good foundation the man laid - I think he shoots himself in the foot toward the end of his text. Truly unfortunate.
  • ken lay Jun 14, 2009 @ 6:15 am | delete
    thank you for your dedication
  • Andy Oppenheimer Jul 15, 2008 @ 5:44 pm | delete
    Were it not for his treatments from my first major disc lesion at age 21 to the tenth at 30, I would not have worked or functioned at all throughout that time. A true genius and giant in medicine, greatly misunderstood, who knew how to diagnose instantly lesions caused mainly by our sedentary lives No mumbo jumbo like folks go in for these days, just simple, straightforward, ruthless engineering solutions. And traction - which you never see now, more's the pity. I would crawl in to his surgery all fours, screaming, and leave upright an hour later, ready to go clubbing. All the layman needs to know is in his book 'The Slipped Disc' if you can get it. He should not only have been knighted, but canonised. RIP.
Show All

by

Juan_Ruiz-Tagle

 I am a therapist and a trainer with a background in Orthopedic Medicine, Sports Medicine and Physical Rehabilitation. I am trained and certified... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Related Tags