Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Steven Nussbaum, MD(Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago)
Description:This is the third edition of a reference designed to provide information about topics in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation predominantly using charts, glossary of terms, outlines, and illustrations. Previous editions were published in 1991 and 1998.
Purpose:According to the authors, this handbook was not written to replace conventional reference books but to "... provide information that clinicians need in a succinct form." In addition, the materials are organized to "...facilitate clinical practice."
Audience:Even though most of the sections of the book are authored by physical therapists, the handbook is intended for use by various rehabilitation specialists such as physicians, nurses, therapists, and students.
Features:The handbook covers topics such as musculoskeletal anatomy and therapy, neuroanatomy and therapy, pulmonary anatomy and therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, prosthetics and orthotics, pediatric issues, and geriatric issues. Massage, soft tissue techniques, and various modalities are also covered. The book provides excellent charts, graphs, and outlines to the reader. The index and table of contents are sufficient to locate specific topics without difficulty. The illustrations are high quality and pertinent to the chapter topic. A deficiency in the book is the inadequate number of listed references in most of the chapters.
Assessment:This is an excellent book written in clear and concise language. Because it uses mainly charts, glossary of terms, outlines, and illustrations, itis best used as a reference book in conjunction with other rehabilitation textbooks. Physicians, residents, medical students, nurses, and therapists interested in the field of rehabilitation should find this book to be a valuable educational and clinical resource.