The definitive guide to putting spinal cord injury research into practice Essentials of Spinal Cord Injury is written for the spinal cord injury (SCI) team and reflects the multidisciplinary nature of treating patients with SCI. It integrates emerging medical and surgical approaches to SCI with neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuroimaging, neuroplasticity, and cellular transplantation. This comprehensive yet concise reference will enable neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, and allied health professionals caring for SCI patients to translate research results into patient care. It is also an excellent resource for those preparing for the board exam in SCI medicine. Key Features: Material is cross-referenced to highlight relationships between the different areas of SCI Chapters are concise, focused, and include key points, pearls, and pitfalls An Overview of the Literature table is provided in most chapters, giving readers a meaningful distillation of each publication referenced Each editor is a world-renowned expert in one of these core disciplines involved in the management of SCI patients: neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, spinal cord science, and rehabilitative medicine This is a must-have guide that all neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, and allied health professionals involved in the care of spinal cord injury patients should have on their bookshelf.

"From the first to the last page, this book is so full of information that as a person working in the world of spinal cord injury, I found myself in an unfamiliar situation. Never had I read a book related to my profession that I didnít have trouble putting down. Iím not saying that such books are boring by any means; however, they are not the captivating fictional reads that keep people up late on work nights thinking 'just one more chapter.' Essentials of Spinal Cord Medicine was that type of book for me!... Overall, I thought this book was nothing short of fantastic... it was so full of information that makes me feel more confident as a technologist, and more compassionate as a human. I would highly recommend this for any practitioner working in the field where they may encounter a person with spinal cord injury." -- Donna Jacobs, R. EEG T., CNIM, The Neurodiagnostic Journal This compact text is a practical, concise guide for clinicians involved in the care of patients with spinal cord injuries and disorders. It covers a comprehensive and diverse list of topics encompassing the principles and practice of spinal cord injury care, including basic science fundamentals, traumatic spinal cord injury, non-traumatic myelopathies, physical function and rehabilitation, medical consequences and complications of spinal cord injury, psychosocial and quality of life issues, and systems-based practice. Chapters are consistently formatted for ease of use and are organized under the broad headings of general principles, clinical considerations, and knowledge gaps and emerging concepts, and conclude with a curated list of suggested readings. Within these categories, specifics on underlying pathophysiology and etiology, assessment (examination, testing, differential diagnosis, prognosis, and risk factors) and management (non-pharmacological, medications, surgical procedures, follow-up and monitoring, primary and secondary prevention, and complications), and recent clinical advances and promising research are easily accessed. The book also addresses such quality of life issues as psychological adaptation, sexuality and fertility, vocational training, driving, and exercise, and includes information about systems of care and patient safety as well as ethical considerations. The guide is peppered with useful tables that highlight and reinforce key material. Additionally, ìPractice Pearlsî in selected chapters enhance the guide as a handy go-to reference for clinicians and trainees in multiple disciplines who care for people with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Key Features: A concise, practical manual designed for rapid access to key information on a broad range of topics integral to the practice of spinal cord medicine Covers both traumatic spinal cord injury and non-traumatic disorders and their evaluation, management, medical complications, functional rehabilitation, and quality of life concerns Packed with useful tables to highlight and reinforce key material Formatted consistently with short, reader-friendly paragraphs and clarifying sub-titles

Spinal cord injury is a severe condition leading to serious neurological dysfunctions and changes a person's life in a sudden way. Understanding the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury will improve the prognosis and reintegration to the society of spinal cord-injured subjects. The book Essentials in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine includes seven chapters with valuable information addressing hot topics related to spinal cord injury, ranging from pathophysiology, nontraumatic spinal cord injury, complications to exoskeletons, and research therapies with mesenchymal stem cells. The book could be a valued reference for physiatrists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists and physical therapists.

Combining 25 years of clinical, research and teaching experience, Dr Lisa Harvey provides an innovative 5-step approach to the physiotherapy management of people with spinal cord injury. Based on the International Classification of Functioning, this approach emphasises the importance of setting goals which are purposeful and meaningful to the patient. These goals are related to performance of motor tasks analysed in terms of 6 key impairments. The assessment and treatment performance of each of these impairments for people with spinal cord injury is described in the following chapters: - training motor tasks - strength training - contracture management - pain management - respiratory management - cardiovascular fitness training Dr Harvey develops readers' problem-solving skills equipping them to manage all types of spinal cord injuries. Central to these skills is an understanding of how people with different patterns of paralysis perform motor tasks and the importance of differentmuscles for motor tasks such as: - transfers and bed mobility of people - wheelchair mobility - hand function for people with tetraplegia - standing and walking with lower limb paralysis This book is for students and junior physiotherapists with little or no experience in the area of spinal cord injury but with a general understanding of the principles of physiotherapy. It is also a useful tool for experienced clinicians, including those keen to explore the evidence base that supports different physiotherapy interventions.

An examination, through personal narratives and reflective commentary, of life without sensation or movement in the body. In writing Still Lives, Jonathan Cole wanted to find out about living in a wheelchair, without having what he calls "the doctor/patient thing" intervene. He has done this by asking people with spinal cord injuries the simple question of what it is like to live without sensation and movement in the body. If the body has absented itself, where does the person reside? He describes his method in the first chapter: "I have gone to people, not with a white coat or a stethoscope...[but] to listen to their lives as they express them," and it is the candid and powerful narratives of twelve people with spinal cord injuries that form the heart of the book.Asking his simple question, Cole discovers that there is no single or simple answer. The twelve people with tetraplegia (known as quadriplegia in the US) or paraplegia whose stories he tells testify to similar impairments but widely differing experiences. Cole employs their individual responses to shape the book into six main sections: "Enduring," "Exploring," "Experimenting," "Observing," "Empowering," and, finally, "Continuing." Each concludes with a commentary on the broader issues raised. Still Lives moves from a view of impairment as tragedy to reveal the possibilities and richness of experience available to those living with spinal injuries. More universally, it offers new perspectives on our relation to our bodies. In exploring the creative and imaginative adjustments required to construct a "still life," it makes a plea for the able-bodied to adjust their view of this most profound of impairments.

"A comprehensive resource for coping with medical, emotional, and practical challenges."--Cover.

From a hospital admittance to discharge to outpatient rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injuries addresses the wide spectrum of rehabilitation interventions and administrative and clinical issues specific to patients with spinal cord injuries. Comprehensive coverage includes costs, life expectancies, acute care, respiratory care, documentation, goal setting, clinical treatment, complications, and activities of daily living associated with spinal cord patients. In addition to physical therapy interventions and family education components, this resource includes content on incidence, etiology, diagnosis, and clinical features of spinal cord injury. - Case Studies with clinical application thinking exercises help you apply knowledge from the book to real life situations. - Thoroughly referenced, evidence-based content provides the best evidence for treatment based on the most current research. - Tables and boxes throughout each chapter organize and summarize important information for quick reference. - Clinical Note boxes provide at-a-glance access to helpful tips. - Over 500 clinical photos, line drawings, radiographs, and more bring important concepts to life. - Highly respected experts in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, editors Sue Ann Sisto, Erica Druin, and Martha Sliwinski, provide authoritative guidance on the foundations and principles of practice for spinal cord injury. - Companion DVD includes video clips of the techniques described throughout the book that demonstrate how to apply key concepts to practice.