Orthopedic Assessment in Massage Therapy (Paperback)

by Whitney Lowe (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 305 pages
• Publisher: David Scott; 1 edition (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966119630
• ISBN-13: 978-0966119633
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #424,220 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent text (and accompanying course) for orthopedic assessment in massage therapy, March 21, 2007

By	C. Ehringhaus "LMT, NCTMB" (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whitney Lowe's new book belongs in the library of every massage therapist who deals with chronic or acute pain. Lowe sets the foundation by reviewing information concerning soft tissue dysfunction as it pertains to muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, fascia, nerves, cartilage, and bursa. Next, he proceeds to delineate a systematic approach to orthopedic assessment and treatment, with detailed information regarding clinical skills (using observation, palpation, range of motion and resistance testing, and special orthopedic tests as well as taking a thorough client history). The text emphasizes the use of assessment for the purpose of ascertaining appropriate massage therapy treatment plans (including when it is best to refer out for diagnosis). Lowe includes a discussion of general soft tissue disorders, such as strains, trigger points, and tendinosis, but the heart of the book deals with specific parts of the body (e.g., foot, ankle, & leg; knee & thigh; hip & pelvis; lumbar & thoracic spine; cervical spine; and shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand) along with common pathologies that the massage therapist is likely to encounter. Within each section, Lowe includes charts such as muscles and actions, joints and motions, regions of possible nerve entrapment, references for assessments, and trigger point referral patterns. In less than 300 pages, this book organizes a wealth of complex information. . . it can be read cover-to-cover but it will remain most useful as a resource book to be referred to repeatedly. NOTE: This book is one of two required texts for Whitney Lowe's new e-course (see www.OMERI.com for further information). The texts are resources used while working through realistic case studies and provocative "clinical questions." I had owned and valued the books before taking my first course, but I am now even more conscious of the scope and complexity of information contained. I cannot recommend the e-course too strongly to anyone interested in improving their clinical decision-making skills for use with clients who are in pain.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fundamental Clinical Massage Working Reference, May 5, 2008

By	Keith Eric Grant "Ramblemuse" (Pleasanton, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whitney Lowe is well-known and highly-respected in the massage therapy professional community for his teaching and writing on orthopedic massage and orthopedic assessment. "Orthopedic Assessment in Massage Therapy" is a long-awaited refinement and extension of his previous "Functional Assessment for Massage Therapists". It also stands on additional years of his teaching, writing a book on orthopedic massage techniques, and publishing the (now discontinued) research newsletter "Orthopedic & Sports Massage Reviews". Like Whitney himself, the new assessment book is straightforward, under-spoken, well-organized, and full of information. I highly recommend it for any clinical massage therapist's working reference books.

2 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars wanna play doctor for money?, February 16, 2008

By	M. Barker "God bless us all" (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read every word in this book at least once looking for the reason why I would want to do orthopedic tests on my clients that would cause them pain. This book is written by one of the most hyped up massage therapists for orthopedic massage on the internet and the massage therapy CE credit circuit. This zealous experience massage therapist may be trying too hard to act like a doctor. My concern is that this book could encourage other massage therapists to behave like the sinister offspring of an orthopedist-and play doctor for money. While the book clearly states the difference between assessment and diagnosis, it procedes to teach how to perform one diagnostic test after another. Why? for the express purpose of discovering the diagnosis, not just the client limitation. Some believe this type of work oversteps testing by a physical therapist who have master's degrees. Most of the tests in this book, for administered by massage therapists, overstep some peoples interpretation of the limits or scope of practice. They are diagnostic tests. Why would a massage therapist WANT to perform tests on a client that cause pain to see if they have a nerve impingement? Wouldn't the client saying their hands were numb and tingly be enough evidence to refer to a doctor? The opportunity to do further damage to someone appeared evident in too many of the physical movement tests in this book. Beware of wanna be doctors in massage therapist clothing. I was required to use this text in a 60 contact hour course and feel it is possibly sinister in intention, poorly edited, disappointing, and gave me much pause to reflect. A much better choice for the information would be Orthopedic Physical Assessment by David J. Magee. His format provides better material, better research, better organization, more readable, and is more grounded. As long as massage therapy is unregulated in so many jurisdictions the public will continue to be at risk in the hands of over zealous wanna be's.