Diagnosis and Treatment of the Spine: Nonoperative Orthopedic Medicine and Manual Therapy.

The main goal of this book is to offer a concise and practical overview of the most commonly treated orthopedic pathologies of the spine and to discuss and illustrate the nonoperative therapies for consideration by the physician and the physical therapist. It is, therefore, meant to be not a handbook of manual therapy, but a comprehensive reference. The 23 authors are practitioners, educators, or scientists in physical therapy, medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurobiology, psychiatry, psychology, and dentistry in the Netherlands and Belgium.

This book is organized into three parts, which are further divided into 17 chapters. The first two parts offer insight into orthopedic disorders and their treatments. The third part presents an overview of the fundamental resear-ch and applied knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of the disorders of the spinal column. This work contains more than 950 figures and crisp black-and-white photographs to enhance the clarity of the accompanying text.

Part 1 focuses on the surface anatomy of the spine and the general aspects of examination and treatment of back pain. This part discusses the inspection and palpation of the head; cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine; perineal area; abdominal wall; and temporomandibular joint. Schematic topography of the blood vessels and nerves that supply to these areas also are illustrated.

Part 2, which consists of 696 pages, presents the functional anatomy, the major pathologies, the examination, and the treatment techniques for the spinal column. Specific areas -- such as the sacroiliac great joint, the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine, and temporomandibular joint -- are discussed in great detail. In the section on treatments, the major emphasis is placed on manipulation and mobilization techniques and related biomechanical principles. In the chapter on lumbar spine disorders, the rationale and the various methods of applying mechanical traction are discussed and well illustrated. Part 2 also presents lists of 30 major questions and answers underlying cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disorders, followed by a section entitled "Patient Handbook," which contains important yet simple information intended for educating patients with chronic back pain.

Part 3 starts out with a review of the innervation, kinematics, and stability of the spinal column. Following this review, different imaging techniques for the investigation of the spine are presented. The theories behind the prevention of back and neck pain and the biomechanical principles underlying spinal mobilization also are elaborated on. Part 3 further cites a number of studies (1955-1987) in support of the efficiency of manual therapy, followed by the presentation of research work (1968-1988) on the role of exercise therapy in the treatment of chronic back pain. This part concludes with a chapter discussing an integrative approach to the diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders, with emphasis on the psychosomatic approach. The four appendixes of this book provide algorithms for the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies involving the lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint, followed by listings of differential diagnoses for thoracic and cervical spine disorders.