The Comprehensive Manual of Therapeutic Exercises

Book excerpt: Therapeutic exercises can be found spread out amongst numerous texts, handouts, card boxes, and websites, which has sent clinicians, practitioners, and trainers searching for reliable, evidence-based exercises for the entire body, all packaged into a single, all-inclusive manual. To that end, The Comprehensive Manual of Therapeutic Exercises: Orthopedic and General Conditions was written as a fundamental resource on exercise theory and techniques, and as a comprehensive guide for designing exercise programs. Dr. Elizabeth Bryan has compiled thousands of clinically relevant exercises to create a text that will teach students theory and proper application that they will then return to again and again in their career as a reference to aid in designing evidence-based exercise programs for their clients or patients. Introductory chapters cover exercise parameters, exercise progression, the importance of form, muscle soreness, and a reference for body position terminology, then subsequent chapters are organized by body area to cover most of the clinical exercises in use today. Each exercise includes photographs, a list of muscle systems that will be affected, specific substitutions to look for, and detailed instructions directed at students and clinicians. Also included are sections devoted to protocols and specialty exercises including yoga and tai chi. Embracing the principles of evidence-based practice, “Where’s the Evidence?” boxes are prominently featured throughout the text to support the exercises and theory with up-to-date, relevant, sufficient, valid, and reliable studies. Combining theory with practice, The Comprehensive Manual of Therapeutic Exercises: Orthopedic and General Conditions is an essential tool for students as well as clinicians, practitioners, or trainers to find the most appropriate exercises for their client’s or patient’s needs and apply them properly.