WCPT Awards for Brian Mulligan and Robin McKenzie

During the recent World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, two physical therapists from New Zealand were honoured with the WCPT International Service to the Profession Award¹. This award is presented at most once every four years to physical therapists that have made an exceptional contribution to the profession at the international or regional level by way of excellence in the areas of practice, education, research, or administration and policy development².

Brian Mulligan received the Award for his development and teaching of mobilization with movement, the Mulligan Concept. Well-recognized for his generosity and enthusiasm in addition to his clinical acumen and innovative approach to OMPT diagnosis and management, Mr. Mulligan continues to be in great demand internationally for teaching courses. The Mulligan Concept is instructed in entry-level and postgraduate university physical therapy programs throughout the world where faculty members have the credentials to teach them.

A member of the New Zealand Society of Physiotherapists (NZSP) since his graduation in 1954, Mr. Mulligan has participated over many years in various roles and on various committees at a Branch, Special Interest Group, and NZSP Standing Committee level. With two other NZSP members—including the other Award winner celebrated here, Robin McKenzie—he established the New Zealand Manipulative Physiotherapy Association (NZMPA) in 1968 and he represented New Zealand at the founding meeting of International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapists (IFOMT) in 1970. In recognition of his achievements on behalf of the physical therapy profession in New Zealand Mr. Mulligan has also been awarded Life Membership of the NZMPA (1988), Honorary Fellow status in the NZSP (1996), and Life Membership of NZSP (1999).

Robin McKenzie graduated from the University of Otago School of Physiotherapy in 1952. In 1956 while in private practice in Wellington, New Zealand, a chance observation led him to develop diagnosis and management protocols that are now in widespread use internationally under the name Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy. Like no other, this concept has crossed professional boundaries and is being used by physical therapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and medical physicians. Within this concept the emphasis is placed on education and active patient involvement in the management of complaints in order to quickly decrease pain and restore function and independence. In 1982, Robin founded and was elected as the first President of the McKenzie Institute International, a charitable trust that currently operates in 34 countries promoting education and research in the field of mechanical diagnosis and therapy. In 1983 he founded the New Zealand Back Foundation to provide funds for research and education. Mr. McKenzie is a long-standing member of NZSP. He was also a joint founder and the first elected President of the NZMPA (1971) also serving as its Director of Training (1971–76).

In recognition of his achievements on behalf of the physical therapy profession in New Zealand Mr. McKenzie has been awarded Honorary Fellow status in the NZSP (1985), Honorary Life Membership of the NZMPA (1987), and Honorary Life Membership in the New Zealand College of Physiotherapy (1998). In addition, during the 1990 Queen's Birthday Honours he was appointed an Invested Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. During the 2000 New Year Royal Honours he was appointed Invested Companion New Zealand Order of Merit and more recently he was also appointed Honorary Fellow of the University of Otago School of Physiotherapy (2002).

Founded in 1951 in Copenhagen, Denmark with 11 founding members, the WCPT now comprises 101 member organizations representing over 250,000 physical therapists worldwide³. The June 2–6, 2007 congress in Vancouver, BC, Canada was its 15^th International Congress.

Brian Mulligan (left), and Robin McKenzie (right)