A reader recently asked me what 5 textbooks I would recommend reading! Thanks for the question! Here are my current must reads!
So many books, so little time! I used to read all the time, now it seems I am writing more than reading, but I catch up on planes and in airports. Here are my current must reads plus honorable mentions.
1) Movement- Gray Cook
If you have not read Movement yet, forget the rest of this blog post and go and get the digital copy. It's only $9.99 and a steal at that price. Gray told me if you get the right version, (i.e. not the kindle version) you can read it only not only your pc, but your phone, and reader as well because it's open source and not locked down to one ecosystem.
Movement goes over everything from the joint by joint approach to the FMS and SFMA, plus motor control/stability, the importance of screening for asymmetries and more. It's a very easy read, and somewhat on the repetitive side, but if there's one thing I learn from teaching, it's that learning is repetition.
2) The Sensitive Nervous System - David Butler
When I first read this text, shortly before taking the course WAAAAY back in 2000, it was quite a revelation. Regular readers know how much I have been influenced by both David Butler and Lorimer Moseley. Reading this text will change the way you look at chronic/persistent pain and pain in general. It also goes over why you should treat the neural container and why we do not just "stretch" the nerves anymore. Whether you need a nervous system review, or are still using terminology like slipped disc, degeneration, etc... learn why modern neuroscience tells us why we should stop with the doom and gloom.
3) The Lumbar Spine/The Cervical and Thoracic Spine - Robin McKenzie/Stephen May
What would a normal blog post be without me pushing clinicians to adopt MDT as a system for evaluation/classification? The simplicity, reliability and effectiveness is unparalleled. Patients are empowered with education in self assessment and treatment. MDT is one of the most researched systems for evaluation and treatment. Not getting most of your patients better in 6 visits? You need to adopt MDT principles to help your patients lock in your treatments.
4) Manual Therapy: NAGs, SNAGs, MWMs, etc - Brian Mulligan
Ah Mulligan, the only author I've ever seen get an article in a peer reviewed journal, write a case study in the first person, and the references he cited at the end were 4 pieces he wrote himself. Mulligan was one of the first out of the box thinkers, with CRAZY concepts like
- manual therapy should be pain free
- resting position and non weight bearing - forget it!
- tweak taping to lock in manual therapy improvements
- rapid change in a few sets of 10 or abandon it
Even though he thought most of the techniques (only when asked because he really did not care) changes were from position faults, and not neurophysiologic changes, they still promote rapid changes and enable self treatment. They are a perfect compliment to an MDT based HEP!
5) Explain Pain - Lorimer Moseley/David Butler
How do you explain pain to patients? Do you use pathoanatomy, inflammation, and scar tissue or do you use updated concepts of perceived threat, central sensitization, interaction/education? This text is designed to be used in conjunction with patient education. As it's authored by two of the most charismatic clinicians in the business, it's a light hearted, often hilarious read. Patients can easily read it as well - just make sure you get it back! I had a surgeon borrow it for a few years, until I finally asked for it back - note, he still does not refer me patients because "I'm too far away."
Honorable mentions - not in any way less recommended, but this is Friday 5 after all....
Mindfulness - Mark Williams, Danny Penman
This text is highly recommended to all my chronic/persistent pain patients to take control of their lives, empower them and use a step by step program of introspection. Mindfulness is being used by many different types of clinicians from PTs treating chronic pain to psychologists to help with addiction.
Clinical Neurodynamics - Michael Shacklock
Who better to learn neurodynamics from than the man who coined the term? It even comes with a quick movie showing excursion of median nerve in the carpal tunnel with wrist movements. The system is different from what I learned from Butler but there are different progression to rule in and out certain peripheral nerves. Much more clinical than the Sensitive Nervous System, it compliments that text perfectly!
This reviews everything researchers currently know about fascia. From IASTM to tensegrity, mechanotransduction and more! If you are a tissue head, you really should pick this up!
What are some of your current must read texts?
What are some of your current must read texts?
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