Management of Spinal Cord Injuries

By Lisa Harvey, BAppSc GradDipAppSc (ExSpSc) MAppSc PhD, Physiotherapist - clinician and researcher - Academic Staff, Rehabilitation Studies Unit, The Univesity of Sydney, Australia.

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.

Contents

Section 1: The Bare Essentials
Chapter 1: Background information
Chapter 2: A framework for physiotherapy management

Section 2: Understanding how people with paralysis perform motor tasks
Chapter 3: Transfers and bed mobility for people with lower limb paralysis
Chapter 4: Wheelchair mobility
Chapter 5: Hand function of people with tetraplegia
Chapter 6: Standing and walking with lower limb paralysis
Chapter 7: Training Motor tasks
Chapter 8: Strength training
Chapter 9: Contracture management
Chapter 10: Pain management
Chapter 11: Respiratory management
Chapter 12: Cardiovascular fitness training

Section 3: Environmental factors
Chapter 13: Wheelchair seating

Section 4: The way forward
Chapter 14: Evidence-based physiotherapy
Appendix: Innervation of muscles