A Manual Therapist's Guide to Movement

Here's the only available book that examines the use of non-traditional movement systems, especially the Feldenkrais Method and Tai Chi, in the physical therapy setting to treat orthopaedic conditions/injuries. These systems represent a style of internal exercise designed to increase the patient's self awareness and attention to proprioceptive detail, emphasizing integrated or whole body patterns of movement and the use of movement constraints that encourage specific movements and/or muscle contractions. It describes the principles of ideal movement and posture, as well as common movement errors people make that lead to musculoskeletal dysfunction. It also discusses the distal or associative motor effects of injury and how to reintegrate the injured part of the body with the compensating whole. Patient lessons feature instructions for movements presented in clear, easy-to-follow, well-illustrated sequences.Extra components available from the author:All the movement lessons in 'A Manual Therapist's Guide to Movement' are recorded on high quality audio CDs. Listening to verbal directions while doing the lessons makes it easier to focus on what you are doing and feeling. Highly recommended accompaniment to the book. 'Outsmarting Low Back Pain', a DVD/booklet combination, is a self-guided home exercise and self-awareness program for people with low back pain. Designed for the general public and featuring lessons from the low back pain chapter in 'A Manual Therapist's Guide to Movement', this program features 24 exercise/movement sessions averaging 15-30 minutes each, all thoroughly demonstrated on over six hours of professional quality digital video. Order from: www.outsmartinglowbackpain.com

"This book does what the author set out to do for the intended audience. That is, to bridge between traditional/objective/scientific thoughts on movements and exercise, and a more integrative/subjective/awareness based model for the physical therapist/manual therapist who mainly works with an orthopedic clientele. Many practitioners could benefit from reading this book to gain a deeper understanding of motor learning, biomechanical and/or neurological aspect of movements. Readers will get much more enjoyment out of the book if they buy the CD set that is sold separately from the book. The CD set will make it easier and more pleasurable to do the experiential lessons described and analyzed in the book."Assistant Professor in Physical TherapyArkansas State UniversityJuly 2007