Reddit mentions: The best physical therapy books

I'm just putting this comment here so you see it. Before making anyone beginn a new exercise program you need to do some sort of health screening. From the demographic you described there is a good chance that some of them will have contraindications to exercise. Here is a very common and easy to use screening questionnaire.

Once they are cleared for exercise you'll want to do a fitness assessment. The most basic and easily administered fitness tests can be found in the YMCA Fitness Testing and Assessment Manual. Things like the step test and sit and reach are valid measures of cardiovascular fitness and flexibility. The book also includes normative data for a variety of populations. So you'll be able to compare your clients to the average 50 yr old female (or whomever they might be). I don't know how long your company plans to implement this program, but you might want to do this monthly, to show people their progress. You can learn to administer most these tests in 20 minutes.

For actual exercise, go with the minimum ACSM recommendations for cardiorespiratory and flexibility exercise (read This page for ACSM guidelines). These will directly improve activities of daily living more quickly than will resistance training. With your population the most motivating factor will be improved ability to complete ADLs. Ask management for Wednesday and Friday afternoons for group walks. Something like, if they want an hour off, then they can join you on a company walk.

You might want to incentivize exercise with more fitness equipment. MioGlobal makes pretty sweet wrist watch heart rate monitors (we actually use them in the lab because they are so easy to put on volunteers). Work with local yoga, spin, or step aerobic studios to get free classes. Usually they have an introductory rate for a few sessions that you could give out as prizes.

Lastly, don't use a leader board. Nothing demotivated people faster than knowing they are in last place, and those are the people that need to exercise the most! Have a set goal for everyone, say 2000kcal per month for the year. At the end of the year everyone gets a ticket for each month they met that goal. Then raffle off gifts, with each ticket worth a prize (even a lousy prize, everyone gets something for each ticket). You will need to get some companies to sponsor this thing. I used to do corporate wellness and we would give away GoPros, trips to the Caribbean, all kinds of fitness watches, pedometers, fitness books, fitness classes. Everything was donated too.

And double lastly, the best exercise is the one they will do.

First on my list for everyone on this subreddit to read is Overcoming Gravity. It doesn't go into great amount of detail on insertions and functions and whatnot, but it does teach you a lot about your body.
In the same vein, I would recommend Practical Programming.
Starting Strength has a bit more emphasis on what does what in general movements. Yeah, it's a barbell training book, but it provides a lot of insight.

More on the physiology side of things, I'd say Skeletal Muscle Function, Structure, and Plasticity. It isn't perfect, but it's pretty good. It also teaches you a bunch about anatomy which is a nice bonus.

That being said, I don't think real anatomy is that important. Personally I've accumulated the things I know about anatomy over time. Only yesterday I learnt where exactly the infraspinatus and teres minor insert at the shoulder, for instance. Because what do you really need that kind of knowledge for? Determining the cause for injuries is just guesswork if you aren't trained for it.
I think it's more important to know about the general groups and what they do; for instance, the glutes do hip extension and the hamstrings do both hip extension and knee flexion. In short, it's more important to know what the muscles do rather than where exactly they insert.

I am just so sorry you’re going through this. Totally unacceptable of that office.. I would be filing a complaint against them ASAP. Are there any other nook doctors or excision specialists within driving distance? I would also second trying some self help books for the PT. Seeing a therapist is ideal, but it’s totally possible to do the work on your own.

This book has been a wonderful resource for me:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ORXW8BU/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

It touches on a lot of different things.. breathing and relaxation, stretching and strengthening, and internal trigger point release. There’s a whole program in the book you can follow. You can also buy a trigger point tool on Current Medical Technologies just like what a lot of the physical therapists use.

I don't have any advertising books since my clinic kinda does that for me and I'm not hardcore enough to do it myself, but this is my favorite book.

Magee! Massage therapy in a large, heavy nutshell.

When you do get some good resources, could you share them? Eventually I'd love to start my own business, but the start up costs aren't there yet what with saving for a wedding and stuff.

Assuming you didn't actually damage something serious on that roller coaster ride, here's what worked for me: Go to a university library and find Low Back Disorders by Stuart McGill. It's a dense, academic book but it has a short exercise program for strengthening your core. Dead simple: front and side planks, crunches, bird-dog, cat stretch, with some subtle instructions about alignment and bracing. Follow the recipe even if it feels too easy. You'll get stronger, the pain will disappear, and you will stop doing the exercises until you hurt again.

Here's the TL;DR of McGill's book: you can attempt to treat back pain through strength training, flexibility training or endurance training. Strength and flexibility will probably make the problem worse. The most effective way is through endurance training. So do low-impact exercises that avoid overloading your back muscles, and concentrate on held postures to help build that core strength.

EDIT: Of course respect_cat is right about the sketchiness of internet medical advice, but all the same, I proselytise McGill to everyone. Good luck!

I posted this a while back when someone was complaining of back problems: From Dr. Stuart McGill

It's five simple exercises that have been shown effective in preventing lower back pain and maintaining a healthy back and posture in general.

His more in-depth book is called Low Back Disorders if anybody likes to get down and dirty with the science of it. I've read it and it's great, but probably only for those who enjoy technical reading.

Tall people definitely have to be more proactive about back issues, but it would be a disservice to call back pain "normal" just like it's a disservice when people predisposed to being overweight accept it as "normal" and just eat however they want. We can't just sit however we want, but that's ok.

For the most part, you can have a lot of control over it. Your posture and musculature, body awareness are all key.

Tidy's Physiotherapy is a good general text.

As for other things you could do to prepare I would suggest:

a) Try and hone your musculoskeletal anatomy as sharp as possible, literally the more you know the easier your first year will be. Prioritise memorising the articulating bones and bony points, and muscles and their attachments and you will have a massive headstart on everyone else.

b) Similar for physiology - prioritise cardiovascular system, respiratory system, musculoskeletal, and CNS in broad terms.

The Physiotherapist's Pocket Book is a good resource for what kind of things to learn by rote - and lists a lot of very useful essential knowledge, but is designed for people who already know and just need reminding rather than learning from.

c) Dip into neurology a bit further and start familiarising yourself with some concepts, as this may be the area most different from exercise science. Basic neuroanatomy and reading about some common disorders (MS, CVA, Parkinsons).

d) Get used to palpation and generally being 'hands-on'. You will become very intimate with your fellow students - the quicker you lose any nerves the more you will get out of it.

e) Visit and shadow some physiotherapists if possible - creating a rapport with patients is half the job and you can learn a lot from observing, particularly body-language, patter, what questions to ask and how to frame them. Depending on your course you may not be going on placement in the first term, but the people skills needed are very difficult to learn from a book.

The most useful books other than the above for me were basic medical anatomy and physiology textbooks which you may know already. I used Tortora and Sherwood, but there are other similar and just as good. Instead of buying one of those tomes it may be better to browse a library for a more specific text when you need it, though.

hello,

going through the same thing! i am also 25, herniated my L5-S1 disc about 4 months ago. initially, i thought it wasn't anything serious as the pain was manageable. i did everything i shouldn't have been doing right after herniating my disc; the wrong stretches, not resting and sitting. at that stage, the pain was about 5/10. after 2 weeks, it went to a 10/10. went to an acupuncturist (didn't do anything) and massage therapist (felt good but i didn't experience any healing benefits).

started to self treat my self using the internet and books as a source. did stretches, mckenzie exercises and massages. didn't go too well.

i then saw an orthopaedic surgeon who gave me steroids and nerve meds (didn't do anything) and told me not to do any form of exercise as i needed to rest to start the healing process. he told me, if i needed to, to walk around the house for a half a minute or so. when i saw him again, i was improving slightly, and he got me to get an epidural shot. this did nothing. at this point, he told me i could wait it out and see if i would get better or opt for an operation. i decided to wait and go see a physical therapist.

the physical therapist has been a HUGE help. gave me exercises to do every 30 minutes that spared my spine and ensured there was minimal compressive loads on my back. i also started to take anti inflammatories 2 weeks ago (i'm not keen with meds and they affect my stomach) and will only be taking them for the 2 weeks. they have helped quite a lot with the pain.

overall, i have improved quite a bit from 4 months ago. the first 2 months i wasn't able to see anyone for my back as i was travelling in a rural part of a country where no one spoke english. so technically, i've been at this for 2 months.

my advice, after having done a lot of research on the internet and reading a lot of books due to not being able to do anything else;

• rest, rest, rest. when you're able to move a bit more without being in too much pain, move as much as you can! even if it's for a few seconds.
  
• you don't need to be stretching out your back. your back needs to be stiff to ensure stability.
  
• be careful with stretching. it might feel good for the moment, but it could actually make your situation worse. most of the time, the pain is from the nerves, stretching out your muscles won't fix that. you need to deal with the root cause, which is the disc impinging on the nerve.
  
• do core exercises that utilise your whole body. don't focus on just one muscle.
  
• learn about correct posture and neutral spine
  
• no sitting position is good for your spine. minimize sitting.
  
• find a good sports physical therapist (i have no experience with chiro's)
  
  take what i've said with a grain of salt, the above are my experiences with this debilitating injury. and do your own research! you'll have the time to do so, since you're not mobile ;)
  
  lastly, i think this book is very helpful. check it out:
  http://www.amazon.com/Low-Back-Disorders-Second-Edition/dp/0736066926
  
  
  

I like some of the books you have, but I'm kinda surprised at some of the ones that you're missing. Maybe this is a smaller distributor? If you're looking to carry more books, I have some suggestions.

Rattray

McGee

Netter

Hertling and Kessler

Kendall

If I could have no other books in the world, I would have these. The Travell trigger point manuals that you carry are awesome though, I really enjoy those.

I want to be saving up for something fun but I am saving up for this textbook because I really need it and it would help me a lot with my studying. Its like $65 used but I just can't convince myself to buy it yet because when it comes to shopping for myself I am stingy and I already spent like $300 on the required textbooks for this semester! I wish textbooks were cheaper!

I'm looking for a PDF of this textbook:

Doherty RF, Purtilo RB. Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions. (6th ed.) St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders; 2016. ISBN: 978-0323328920

Amazon Link

Payment: $5 Amazon eGift Card

Edit: PDF received, thanks /u/blackmay!

Thanks for the recommendations. As a masochist who does SMR with a PVC pipe, I have to say the trigger point book looks like a great resource.

I also wanted to add one for anyone with back issues:

Low Back Disorders by Stuart McGill

220-Age is a gross estimation of Heart Rate max (HRmax). It is used in a sense that BMI is used to quickly evaluates body composition. I think there is a disconnection between HRmax and Exercise Intentisty that needs to be made. HRmax % is only a part of the equation of VO2 (volume of oxygen consumption in the human body). HRmax is used in exercise prescription because, without laboratory equipment you can't measure the other parts of VO2. Is HRmax the true absolute beats per minute a heart can achieve? Most likely no, but prolonged activity at the rate will lead to MVO2 (heart oxygen consumption) not being able to keep up with demand (ischemia).

The second part and edit of your question has to deal with what your targeting to exercise. Exercise intensity can come from volume, time, mode, and strain of activity (aka intensity). I would argue if you can go for 30mins at 90% of HRmax that is not your true maximum. Your ie. training question deals with which energy system you want to target.

A more accurate measure in calculating your HRmax/VO2max would be a Bruce Protocol along with a measure of HR and blood pressure at each stage.

Paraphrased Sources:

Therapeutic Exercise: Moving Towards Function

Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy: Evidence to Practice

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning - 3rd Edition

My program uses Physical Agents In Rehabilitation by Cameron. I think it's pretty good.

https://www.amazon.com/Physical-Agents-Rehabilitation-Research-Practice/dp/1455728489

[This] (http://www.amazon.com/Orthopedic-Physical-Examination-Tests-Evidence-Based/dp/0132544784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374630859&sr=8-1&keywords=chad+cook) is a pretty good book.

If your program starts off with a crash course of anatomy, as many do, some of the structures that will take a lot more time are the brachial plexus and the nerve, blood supply, origin, and insertion of the muscles of the hands and feet. You can pick up an anatomy book (Marieb and Hoehn is very commonly used) and find those.

Other structures that are good to know include the shoulder girdle, the elbow, the knee, and the hip. When dealing with these structures, it's good to consider moment arm physics (important for use), sensory innervation (important for testing for nerve damage), and accessory structures (such as the glenoid labrum, which might get damaged).

More detail is better, since you have about a year to cover it. Anatomy is truly one of the best investments you could make because its the foundation for everything else. I'm in my first year and I can say that it is not possible to thrive in this program without a very solid understanding of anatomy.

If you really wanna go the extra mile, Levangie goes into really excellent detail on joints. Don't read this one cover to cover, but use it as a reference. It's the book I go to when I need to double check things. This book is much more related to functional anatomy than structural anatomy, and as such will include pathologies of specific structures.

Dr. Lorimer Moseley can help get you into pain science. It's part of our curriculum, not sure if it's part of yours, but there are some things in his work that make a LOT of sense. Namely, that we were taught for the longest time that nociception= tissue damage. Yet, pain is very poorly correlated with tissue damage. He explains it very well. I had the privilege of sitting in on one of his presentations and learned a lot, but the ted talk I linked is a good foot in the door.

I'd also get used to reading research papers, appraising their value, and extracting the information in a reasonable amount of time.

Take a step back and focus on rehab treatments.

First see a doctor. Get an MRI of your back if you haven't. You probably have some messed up discs. This doesn't mean you need surgery, the 5-ear outlook for people who have and do not have surgery is remarkably similar. But you should make sure you only have a minor herniation and not something really bad. If you don't have numbness you probably don't.

For exercise and rehab, I like these articles and her books for the basics:

http://www.drbookspan.com/clinical.html#Summary

You could be further injuring yourself doing stupid stuff: bending weird while reaching above your head, your posture while you watch tv, etc. That stuff makes a HUGE difference, more important than any particular exercises you might do.

She talks a lot about how to adjust other exercise programs for injuries. Things like Yoga should be good for you back, but there are some motions in there you will want to know to skip or change. There's plenty of hard core stuff in there that will tire you out plenty if you do it right.

This book for a technical approach, written more for doctors: http://www.amazon.com/Back-Disorders-Second-Stuart-McGill/dp/0736066926

The topic of neural tension may apply, especially if muscle fatigue/cramping don't make sense. There may also be a more serious underlying issue that would merit a good history and physical by a physician and/or PT. Here is one book on the subject of neural tension: Sensitive Nervous System (829S) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0975091026/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.oPKzb4EQQBJC. A final thought: intracellular Mg may be best measured using RBC-Mg instead of the standard serum Mg lab test. Keep us posted!

The best anatomy book is, no doubt, Gray's Anatomy.
If you want head & face only, I recommend J.L. Hiatt, L.P. Gartner, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Textbook of Head and Neck Anatomy.

Very cool project. Just signed up to Hackaday to follow your progress.

If you're looking for the gold standard of detailed explanation of human movement, you might want to check out Kapandji's Physiology of the Joints: Volume I Upper Limb (if you haven't already):

http://www.amazon.com/The-Physiology-Joints-Volume-Upper/dp/044310350X/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

The thing is wildly overpriced, but whenever I have a question about something I just go check it out from the library.

EDIT: spelling

should i recommend this one: Foundations in Clinical Research

I had the physiotherapist pocket book by kenyon throughout my studies. Still have it today in my locker at work for when I have students.

Very well priced and small so can always find a space in a bag or pockets.

The Physiotherapist's Pocketbook: Essential Facts at Your Fingertips, 3e (Physiotherapy Pocketbooks) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0702055069/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JISwCbH2CQ3CD

I'll jump in with the textbook sales (tis the season!).

Bought a stack of medical/physiotherapy textbooks from a guy off Facebook for $5. Someone had given them to him but he had no use for them. There were maybe 6 or 7 books.

Just sold this one the other day for $100.
Paid less than a dollar; Net profit of $79.20.

Hey I didn't get a few books related to physiotherapy in libgen, are there any alternatives where I can get these. It's not in bookz too. Please any alternatives?

https://www.amazon.in/dp/8123908938/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_6qGqzbXF315TH

https://www.amazon.in/dp/0702041408/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_fqGqzb2CMG5AA

https://www.amazon.com/Users-Guide-Musculoskeletal-Examination-Evidence-Based/dp/0971479232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519853065&sr=8-1&keywords=User%E2%80%99s+Guide+to+Musculoskeletal+Examination%3A+Fundamentals+for+the+Evidence-based+Clinician

> looking at muscle performance in the presence of chronic spinal cord injury.

Have you read this textbook, by any chance? It has a big chapter at the end devoted to nervous system injury models.

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Disorders-Second-Stuart-McGill/dp/0736066926

Dr. Stuart McGill really pioneered the "train the core to resist motion, not create motion". His research showed repeated flexion-extension cycles of the lumbar spine (crunches, situps) could be damaging.

Imaging did nothing for you. Here's my source:

http://www.amazon.com/Low-Back-Disorders-Second-Edition/dp/0736066926/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394309955&sr=8-1&keywords=low+back+disorders

Sciatica is caused by a disorder in the lower back. Your rehab routine would be the same regardless of cause. Aggravating factors would be different though, but imaging wouldn't help you here. I'll venture a guess that you're flexion intolerant without needing to see your imaging.

You can think that the bulging discs are the source of your pain, but it's not guaranteed. Again, that imaging is useless.