Neurological Rehabilitation. 5th ed.

Abstract

Rehabilitation. 5th ed. Umphred DA. St Louis, Mo, Mosby Elsevier, 2007, hardcover, 1272 pp, $169.00. Neurology is 1 of the 4 major areas of physical therapist clinical practice according to the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice1 and the Minimum Required Skills of Physical Therapist Graduates at Entry-Level.2 Umphred's Rehabilitation, now in its fifth edition, continues to be the leading text in this area of rehabilitation as evidenced by a recent Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) survey3 of frequency of use of textbooks in physical therapist education programs. According to this survey, Rehabilitation falls in the top 20 most frequently-used texts, and a review of the other texts in this group reveals that Rehabilitation is the only one devoted solely to neurological rehabilitation. The FSBPT survey4 also found that Rehabilitation is used by 47% of physical therapist education programs in the Eastern United States and Central United States. Key features of the text are that it is consistent with the Guide and is grounded in evidence-based practice, which is crucial, considering the degree to which practice in neurological physical therapy has historically been driven by empiricism and theory as well as the recent explosion of research in neurological physical therapy and neuroscience in general. Reflecting this new research, the fifth edition is updated with recent references. For instance, the chapter on traumatic spinal cord injury contains 157 references, as compared to 116 in the fourth edition. There are also chapters updated by new authors and 5 new chapters covering: motor development across the life span; health and wellness; documentation; age-related considerations for individuals with neurological disorders, including a unit on postpolio syndrome (replacing a chapter on postpolio syndrome in the fourth edition); and cardiovascular and pulmonary health in individuals with neurological disorders. The text is organized into 3 sections: Theoretical Foundations for Clinical Practice, Management of Functional Problems and Movement Disorders Related to Specific Acute and Chronic Diseases and Trauma, and Neurological Disorders and Application Issues. The first section includes chapters covering differential diagnosis, including screening for referral, which is vital in current physical therapist practice. The first section also features chapters covering psychosocial considerations and health and wellness, highlighting the overlap between neurological physical therapy and psychology, setting the stage for discussions of the complex interactions between physical and psychological factors in determining patient/client outcomes. The second section contains chapters covering pediatric, adult, and geriatric neurological disorders. The third section presents disorders of other body systems that impact individuals with neurological disorders and treatment techniques and considerations that are not disorder-specific, such as alternative and complementary therapies. The inclusion of material on alternative and complementary therapies illustrates one of the texts strengths, that it appropriately emphasizes evidence-based practice while still observing and exploring fundamental differences between Western and Eastern medicine. Other strengths include the integration of material on health and wellness and quality-of-life issues, consistent with the Guide as well as the biopsychosocial model of health care and disability as opposed to the traditional biomedical model. Also, the author integrates contemporary material in motor control, motor development, and motor learning that is the foundational of neurological rehabilitation. Tables, figures, and summary boxes enhance the presentation of complex information, and case studies at the ends of the chapters illustrate the applications of the material presented. …