Positional Release Techniques.

Chaitow L. New York, NY, 10011, Churchill Livingstone Inc, 1996, paperback, 126 pp, illus, $35.

Positional Release Techniques is a text designed for advanced orthopedic physical therapy practitioners. It serves as a teaching/review text for manual therapy techniques. This book provides an excellent introduction to the philosophy behind, objectives for, and techniques used in positional release therapy. The author reviews appropriate anatomy and physiology for treatment of various dysfunctions and reviews Jones' points and trigger points as related to treatment techniques.

The text is easy to read, and the techniques are presented as though the author were instructing you at a workshop. The illustrations in the text are adequate in detail and quality and are appropriately placed. My only complaint with the text is that the author commits some space to the historical perspectives and development of the techniques, which may be of value as a curiosity but adds little value to the book.

The book is divided into nine chapters. Chapter I begins with spontaneous positional release variations and covers the common basis of traditional techniques and aggregate approaches to positional release. Chapters 2 and 3 cover a modified strain/counters/rain (SCS) technique and describe the theory behind how SCS works, use of Jones' points, and techniques for multiple body regions. Chapter 4 addresses Goodheart and Morrison's positional release variations and "lift" techniques. Chapters 5 and 6 cover SCS for muscle pain and SCS for hospital settings. These chapters primarily feature "how-to" techniques. Chapters 7 and 8 review functional technique and facilitated positional release and discuss objectives and technique established by Bowles, Hoover, Greenman, Schiowtz, and others. Chapter 9 discusses cranial and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) positional release methods and emphasizes Upledger's and Jones' craniosacral, cranial, and TMJ mobilization methods. The brief coverage of the TMJ methods is fairly traditional in nature. The bulk of this chapter, however, is devoted to craniosacral and cranial suture mobilizations, which have not been well validated in peer-reviewed research, leading me to believe that this is the weakest chapter in the text. Each chapter is referenced internally and at the end of the chapter, with some chapters (eg, SCS for muscle pain) being extensively referenced and others (eg, cranial and TMJ positional release methods) offering a very limited number of references.

Overall, the author has done an excellent job in describing the better aspects of numerous positional release and manual therapy approaches and combining them in an easy-to-read instructional manual on techniques that are rapidly gaining in popularity. Overall, I would recommend this text to all orthopedic physical therapy practitioners with an interest in expanding their knowledge of positional release techniques.

Matt Sailors, PT, ATC
University of South Dakota
Vermillon, SD

Mr Sailors is Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Department and teaches courses on therapeutic modalities, orthopedic and sports medicine, and spine and extremity evaluation and treatment techniques. His research interests and practice are directed toward patients with back, neck, knee, and shoulder injuries.