Manipulative Therapy in Rehabilitation of the Locomotor System [Hardcover]

Karel Lewit (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0407002529 | ISBN-13: 978-0407002524 | Publication Date: March 1984

This book is the updated English version (not a mere translation) of a textbook which appeared successively in Czech,in German, in Bulgarian, in Dutch and in Polish. This English version is shorter, more concise and includes the latest techniques. The role of manipulation is limited to passive mobility and an important part of this book deals with active mobility. The author emphasizes that this is a textbook and not a manual of techniques: the latter deals with individual techniques, while his purpose is to show that it can be disastrous to confine one's interest in this manner and to remain unaware of both the broader context of treatment and of the possible alternatives. There are chapters on functional anatomy, the diagnosis and treatment of disturbed locomotor system function, including indications of appropriate treatment and the place of manipulation, and finally a long chapter on the clinical aspects of impaired function of the locomotor system. The book begins by discussing the major role played by impaired function in the vast majority of patients suffering from pain arising in the locomotor system. This type of pain is altogether the most frequent from which patients suffer, and the first two chapters of this book are mainly concerned with the origin of this pain. It is traditionally associated with rheumatism, but unfortunately rheumatologists are insufficiently aware of locomotor function and leave this field largely to neurologists and orthopaedic surgeons. The author believes that the speciality which is principally concerned with impaired function and its restoration to normal is rehabiliation medicine, a term which includes physical therapy, and it is in this framework that the future of manipulation lies. This will continue to be the case until, one day, a new speciality is established, one which deals with the whole of the locomotor system and in particular with its function. Ideally, it should be called "Musculo-skeletal Medicine".

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Czech (translation)

About the Author

Professor Karel Lewit is a neurologist and specialist in manual medicine of international reputation, and one of the founding members of the Prague school. He is still working and teaching as a professor in Prague. He played a decisive role in promoting manual medicine in central Europe. Doctors and physiotherapists in Germany are to this day largely taught according to his principles. He worked together with Vladimir Janda and Philip Greenman, and his postisometric relaxation (PIR) and reciprocal inhibition (RI) were developed from Mitchel's muscle energy technique. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann (March 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0407002529
• ISBN-13: 978-0407002524
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,623,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars manipulative therapy in rehabilitation of the motor system, by Karel Lewit, October 25, 2005

By 

a doctor-book user (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manipulative Therapy in Rehabilitation Locomotor System, 3e (Paperback)

This text, published initially in 1985, and available in three editions, is, in my professional opinion, the most useful text on the subject of spinal locomotor dysfunction and its sequelae of any ever available. I am dismayed to find that it is no longer published, as the information contained within is just as useful and relevant today as it was twenty years ago. Dr. Lewit amassed an enormous amount of skill and knowledge during his many years of practice in Czechoslovakia, and he patiently shares much of that knowledge throughout this text. The book follows a logical progression, beginning with a description of the various types of locomotor dysfunction, then progressing to examination and therapeutics (manual treatment). He then provides a lengthy chapter dealing with detailed evaluation and differential diagnosis of many conditions often associated with or caused by locomotor dysfunction, as well as his experiences on important modifications or contraindications when warranted. Unlike many contemporary texts, Dr. Lewit's text reads as a detailed guide. He patiently takes the reader through each topic, providing all of the essential bits-and-pieces along the way. I've rarely encountered a text that is this thorough in its coverage. I still refer to this text regularly, though my copy is extensively highlighted, marked, and well-read. His sections on the evaluation and differential considerations of cervical torticollis, disturbances of equilibrium, and pseudoradicular syndromes are unrivaled -- better than any text I've yet read in chiropractic, neurology, or orthopedics. This is also the only text I've yet read that demonstrates the proper use and differential diagnosis of conditions causing an abnormal Hautant's test (it's for a lot more than vertibrobasilar ischemia). Dr. Lewit practiced with two other notable Czech physicians: Dr.s Jan Jirout and Vladimir Janda. These three men have published extensively since the 1950s on topics related to manual medicine, and their expertise, though not in name, is also evident in this book. In my professional opinion, this book is worth its weight in gold for the information it contains, especially now that it's no longer published. Of all the texts I own on locomotor dysfunction, this is the best.