Peak Condition: Winning Strategies to Prevent, Treat, and Rehabilitate Sports Injuries [Hardcover]

James G. Garrick M.D. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Garrick, a physician and director of the Center for Sports Medicine in San Francisco, and medical writer Radetsky have written a superb reference guide to sports and exercise injuries. A chatty but authoritative narrative explains body structure and function, what injuries occur most frequently during exercise and sports, how to recognize which injuries require medical attention and how to treat some problems at home. Each chapter begins with an office visit to Garrick by a weekend or professional athlete who has sustained an injury. Garrick's expertise as well as his empathy with his patients adds to the confidence that the reader quickly develops in his suggestions. The chapters in the first half of the book are divided into discussions of body parts (ankle, foot, knee, etc.) that are subdivided by specific injuries, with accompanying detailed illustrations of trouble spots and "what to do" instructions. The second half of the book enumerates specific sports and exercises, with advice ranging from how much time should be spent in an aerobics class for maximum benefit to preventing sunburn while skiing. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As an overview of sports injuries, this offers little that is new. Sports Fitness and Sports Injuries edited by Thomas Reilly ( LJ 4/15/81) and H. Winter Griffith's Complete Guide to Sports Injuries ( LJ 6/1/86) are more comprehensive and better illustrated. But Garrick has developed a good bench-side manner in his years of work with amateur and professional athletes in a variety of sports, and this comes through in the text. The first half of the book is arranged according to body part, each chapter emphasizing prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation. The second half mixds superfluous essays on a few random sports with useful discussions on surgery, doctor selection, and children's sports injuries. A readable, straightforward guide, especially for beginners. Robert Aken, University of Kentucky Library, Lexington
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing; 1st edition (January 13, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517562464
• ISBN-13: 978-0517562468
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #880,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Athletic Injury Book, June 27, 2002

By 

Robert L. Hutton (Paso Robles, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Peak Condition: Winning Strategies to Prevent, Treat, and Rehabilitate Sports Injuries (Hardcover)

This is the best book on athletic injuries I've used. It's old, but the sound advice hasn't been improved upon. I had a chronic hamstring injury when I got the book (back in '86) and for the first time in years I was able to rehab it completely and compete pain free. I've since referred to it for advice on knees and shoulders. Most recently I had an early stress fracture only a few weeks before an important competition. Following Garrick's guidlines, I was able to recover completely before the event. Garrick understands an athlete's need to stay active and take positive action to recover from an injury and tells you exactly how to do this. He also realizes that an injury that is "cured" by rest and cessation of the activity most often returns when the activity is resumed unless active rehab has been performed.
Highly recommended. The only reason I gave it four stars rather than five is it's brevity. I wish he would write a much longer and more detailed reference.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My First Reference for Every Sports Injury, May 28, 2003

By 

Roy Fouts (Atlantic Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peak Condition: Winning Strategies to Prevent, Treat, and Rehabilitate Sports Injuries (Paperback)

Great analysis of cause and practical approach to cure. Especially good with joint issues. Thanks Dr. Garrick, your efforts have limited my pain and time in recovery! You should be everyone's first responder to sports injury...another edition??

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful resource, August 19, 2009

By 

BJS (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Peak Condition: Winning Strategies to Prevent, Treat, and Rehabilitate Sports Injuries (Hardcover)

I'm sure nothing in this book would be news to, say, a physical therapist. But for people like me, who have been physically active our entire lives (and plan to keep on to the end), this book is a godsend.

The authors tell you how to diagnose common injuries, and when you shouldn't even try--get yourself to a doctor, pronto, because your symptoms indicate a serious injury. What to do if you're there when someone else is seriously injured. When to push and when to back off. What to do to make yourself feel better until you're fit to go again (and how to get there).

I've done quite a bit of physical therapy--with people who were pretty pedestrian, and with people who were at the absolute top of their profession (including a woman who's the PT for the NY City Ballet). All these people helped me to different degrees, but NO ONE in the profession of rehabilitation has the time to give you the range of information you find in this book. It covers every possible kind of sports/exercise injury, including those of professional-level athletes and gymnasts.