Physiotherapy July 2003/vol 89/no 7

449Book reviews

Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London2002 (ISBN 1 85302 985 8). Illus. 384 pages

by Helen Pain, Lindsay McLellan and Sally Gore £25Choosing an assistive device can be a daunting prospect forpeople with disabilities with the ever-increasing range ofproducts available. This book is designed to help individualswho require assistive devices to become informed and activeparticipants in the decision-making process. It is designedfor use by people with disabilities and professionals whohave responsibility for advising, prescribing and supplyingsuch equipment.

Part 1 provides an introduction about useful informationon assistive devices, the process of obtaining them and theterms used later in the book for identifying and choosingthem. Part 1 also contains a flow chart backed up by text toillustrate the process of determining the appropriaterequirements and preferences of clients and helping themmatch the appropriate assistive devices.

The second chapter describes some methods used inevaluating assistive devices. The end of this section also hasa useful list of addresses for getting information aboutassistive devices in a wide number of areas.

Part 2 of the book is divided into four chapters around thespecific areas of assistive devices. These areas are seating andtoileting, continence and bathing, showering and assisted

moving and handling. Each section begins with a reminderto begin the process by following the flow chart suggested inthe first part of the book and then moving on to device-specific flow charts and more in-depth description andevaluation of products along with examples of case studies,flow charts for decision-making and examples of devices.Some of these flow charts are quite complicated to follow,although once mastered they do provide a useful route forensuring that the appropriate devices are selected.

This book offers a template for selection principles as itwould be impossible to cover all areas of assistive technologywhich are available for a wide age range and spectrum ofdisability among users.

The level of the book is appropriate for users and lessexperienced professionals in this field but for thoseprofessionals who are experienced in this area some of theexamples and processes are too simplistic.

The text is well written and supported by diagrams andfigures to help readers and offers a wealth of information. Ithas logical and organised explanations, and where availablethe evidence is presented.

This text provides a useful guide and resource on assistivedevices. It could act as a reference point for a wide range ofhealth professionals working with people with disabilities.For more complex items and in-depth analysis and pre-scription of items such as seating systems further supportwould be needed from specialists. It would be an excellentbook as a resource for users.

Terry Pountney PhD MA MCSP

Oxford University Press2001, 3rd edn (ISBN 0 1926 3272 8). Illus. 252 pages

by Michael Hutson £37.50The theme of sporting injuries is on the whole laid out in alogical order, according to anatomical location. This isextremely useful for quick reference in a clinical setting, aswell as for research. The book deals with basic assessment,suitable for revision purposes and suggests some treatmentmodalities, not all of which are up-to-date enough for arevised publication, or relevant for this type of book.

The standard of information is easy to understand. Thebook would be mostly suitable for students, juniorphysiotherapists, and medical clinicians wishing to find outmore about sports injuries. It could be a useful revision tool,although advanced sports clinicians would glean little newinformation from it, as more detailed publications are avail-able. For basic learning purposes, the photographs are largeenough for hand-hold positioning to be clearly seen, with

interpreting X-rays and clearly laid out charts and graphs.At first read, the book seems to cover all relevant subjects

and some as an overview, but certain very important areas ofrehabilitation are only mentioned in brief, and could havebeen examined and covered in greater depth. These includetreatment of muscle imbalance and core stability, the sacro-iliac joint and the inferior tibio-fibular joint, all of which arecrucial areas for analysis, and more emphasis on these areaswould have been welcomed. Otherwise an alternative sourceof information should have been recommended.

Users of this book would gain a good overview oftreatment techniques, but a qualified therapist mightconsider a different technique best for an individual patient.

The book is grammatically well written, with a clearformat, good explanations and reasoning. It would be usefulon the bookshelves of any physiotherapy school, or depart-ment which employs junior staff. However, the cover is alittle flimsy for its physical dimensions, and this may needreinforcing for general use. The size of the book should notbe compromised however as it allows adequate space forclarity of photographs and diagrams.

Lori Newman MCSPMatthew Brecker MCSP

Choosing Assistive Devices A guide for users and professionals

Sports Injuries, Recognition and Management

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