Orthopedic Manual Therapy: An Evidence-Based Approach,   ISBN:9780131717664

Customer Rating: 

I am a recent physical therapy doctoral graduate and a post-doctoral orthopedic manual resident in West Los Angels, California. Dr. Cook's book is an invaluable and indispensable evidenced-based resource for examination, treatment and reassessment. This publication is on the cutting edge of medical research and practice. It provides a revolutionary break through in the methodology and advancement of orthopedic manual therapy. The author calls for a non-dogmatic research validated approach for the standardization of orthopedic physical therapy examination and evaluation methods. Many of my own personal questions and concerns that have challenged the efficaciousness of our current practice techniques were answered by Dr. Cook's comprehensive review of the literature on orthopedic practice. Bottom line... you can throw your McGee and Dutton textbooks in the trash; along with the other tenuous myths and theories of merit that have discredited and stigmatized the therapy profession for years.

Customer Rating: 

With the advent of evidence-based practice, this book is a very practical guide for clinicians. It integrates up to date research with the different orthopedic manual techniques mentioned. It is not afraid to cite if some manual techniques lack or have weak research supporting its effectivity. The pictures demonstrating the therapist performing the techniques are clear with specific instructions written beside it. It is actually one manual therapy book I enjoyed reading cover to cover. The only thing though is the diagram/sketch of the skeletal anatomy can stand some improvement. Also, some typographical errors need to be corrected. Both of these are quite understandable being the book is a first edition.

Customer Rating: 

Unlike many of the orthopedic physical therapy textbooks out there, this book is both comprehensive and practical. Dr. Cook's textbook focuses on the clinical application of manual physical therapy. It provides a context within which a patient may be both evaluated and treated. Each chapter is heavily referenced and there are detailed descriptions and illustrations of numerous evaluation and treatment techniques. I work with physical therapy students in my clinic during their clinical internships and find this textbook to be indispensable in helping them bridge the gap from the academic setting to the real world of clinical practice.

Customer Rating: 

This book is a great resource for both the novice and experienced orthopedic manual therapist. The most updated evidence is provided in a nice summary that is reader-friendly. The pictures are large and detailed with step-by-step instructions of "how to" perform various procedures and techniques. Both the spine and peripheral joints are covered. What a comprehensive manual!!

Customer Rating: 

As a specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy, i found this book extremely refreshing. Finally, a text that offers a non-dogmatic review of manual therapy and evidenced based physical therapy. I greatly enjoyed having the a specificity and sensitivity of most ortho special tests collected in one book. Moreover, i found the manual therapy techniques easy to understand and apply in clinic. I highly recommend this book to all who aspire to succeed in the ortho physical therapy arena!
Marrow Burnette, PT, MSPT, OCS, COMT