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Laser Therapy
510
Laser Therapy Clinical practice and scientific background Prima Books Available at WWW.THORLASER.COM or telephone 01494 433 736 2002 (ISBN 91631 1344 9). 572 pages by Jan Tuner and Lars Hode £83.50 including UK p + p Principally, this book is aimed at providing instruction to all clinical specialists who would use laser therapy within their practice. The book covers every aspect you would need to understand fully the scientific principles of laser therapy, while providing concise literature reviews on which to base clinical decisions regarding parameter selection. The book is broken into distinct sections, which allows novices and experts to decide where to start. It provides adequate descriptions of the various laser therapy units available on the market today (from Nd:YAG to GaAlAs), while categorising them into surgical and therapeutic. The section on basic laser physics is written in an easy-tofollow/understand manner and sheds some light on the various aspects of laser therapy, such as wavelength, sources, power density and continuous and pulsed lasers. This section is of benefit to students who want to gain a better
Joint Motion Clinical measurement and evaluation Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh 2003 (ISBN 0 443 05808 3). Illus. 202 pages by Roger Soames £16 The main focus of this book is to describe the method by which joint range of motion should be tested and measured. It states it is aimed at examiners of all experience levels, including those with merely an interest in joint motion, but a basic understanding of human anatomy and medical terminology is required to allow interpretation of this text. The first section covers basic terminology and physiology of joint motion in a concise manner for those requiring a refresher. The second section moves joint by joint through each physiological range of motion, covering basic anatomy, axis of rotation, and measurement of range, including details of end of range feel and limiting structures for each motion. Active/passive and functional range of motion reference data are provided for all ages. Photographs illustrate positioning for each range, and diagrams show detailed anatomy, highlighting the articular surfaces and axes of rotation. The book is easy to navigate with headings at the top of each page and follows a logical order. Referencing is within text, with a comprehensive reference list and bibliography Physiotherapy August 2003/vol 89/no 8
knowledge base. Another section that would be valuable to students and clinicians is chapter 3 that deals with the eternal question – which parameters to use? The authors deal with this in a balanced and critical manner that will inform readers. Chapter 4 is an ambitious section that attempts to deal specifically with those medical conditions that can and cannot be treated with laser therapy. This area will always be contentious due to the nature of the evidence base for it. However, the authors have provided a detailed synopsis of the available literature on each of the conditions discussed. This is valuable to readers to inform their own decisions regarding the strength of evidence. The downside of the book in terms of physiotherapy is that there are several chapters that deal specifically with applications of laser therapy to dentistry and veterinary use. Overall, the authors accomplish the main aim of the book and it is written in a style suitable for the target audience. Since it deals with the evidence base for laser therapy, the use of literature is extensive and mostly up to date (considering the time needed to compile a book). Other books are available that deal with laser therapy and this book would complement them. Its presentation is good, but there could have been better use of illustrations to demonstrate fully the points made within the book. Gareth Noble PhD BSc
in section 3. It is small and light, and therefore portable. The text is applicable and affordable for individuals or libraries/departments, acting as a reference to ensure reliability of joint measurement both within and between examiners, but it requires prior medical knowledge to interpret. My main criticism of the book is the illustrations. The anatomy diagrams are very focused, and visualisation of the remainder of the limb(s) and exact joint positioning is sometimes difficult. However, the labelling of the diagrams is clear, and highlighting the articular surfaces useful. The photographs show the positioning of the limb and examiners’ handling (where relevant) but it is necessary to read through the accompanying text to determine the positioning of the goniometer. Some indication of this on the illustration would have made this much clearer, providing a quick review for more experienced clinicians not wishing to plough through the text first, or for inexperienced examiners who require a reminder of the reference point location, as visualisation of the descriptions is sometimes a little brain-taxing. In all, this is an easy-to-read text that would be useful as a reference for individuals or departments/libraries wishing to standardise their measurement of joint range. Addition of reference marking for the goniometer placement on the photographs would have added to its user-friendliness. Helen Evans MCSP APCP
Laser Therapy Clinical practice and scientific background Prima Books Available at WWW.THORLASER.COM or telephone 01494 433 736 2002 (ISBN 91631 1344 9). 572 pages by Jan Tuner and Lars Hode £83.50 including UK p + p Principally, this book is aimed at providing instruction to all clinical specialists who would use laser therapy within their practice. The book covers every aspect you would need to understand fully the scientific principles of laser therapy, while providing concise literature reviews on which to base clinical decisions regarding parameter selection. The book is broken into distinct sections, which allows novices and experts to decide where to start. It provides adequate descriptions of the various laser therapy units available on the market today (from Nd:YAG to GaAlAs), while categorising them into surgical and therapeutic. The section on basic laser physics is written in an easy-tofollow/understand manner and sheds some light on the various aspects of laser therapy, such as wavelength, sources, power density and continuous and pulsed lasers. This section is of benefit to students who want to gain a better
Joint Motion Clinical measurement and evaluation Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh 2003 (ISBN 0 443 05808 3). Illus. 202 pages by Roger Soames £16 The main focus of this book is to describe the method by which joint range of motion should be tested and measured. It states it is aimed at examiners of all experience levels, including those with merely an interest in joint motion, but a basic understanding of human anatomy and medical terminology is required to allow interpretation of this text. The first section covers basic terminology and physiology of joint motion in a concise manner for those requiring a refresher. The second section moves joint by joint through each physiological range of motion, covering basic anatomy, axis of rotation, and measurement of range, including details of end of range feel and limiting structures for each motion. Active/passive and functional range of motion reference data are provided for all ages. Photographs illustrate positioning for each range, and diagrams show detailed anatomy, highlighting the articular surfaces and axes of rotation. The book is easy to navigate with headings at the top of each page and follows a logical order. Referencing is within text, with a comprehensive reference list and bibliography Physiotherapy August 2003/vol 89/no 8
knowledge base. Another section that would be valuable to students and clinicians is chapter 3 that deals with the eternal question – which parameters to use? The authors deal with this in a balanced and critical manner that will inform readers. Chapter 4 is an ambitious section that attempts to deal specifically with those medical conditions that can and cannot be treated with laser therapy. This area will always be contentious due to the nature of the evidence base for it. However, the authors have provided a detailed synopsis of the available literature on each of the conditions discussed. This is valuable to readers to inform their own decisions regarding the strength of evidence. The downside of the book in terms of physiotherapy is that there are several chapters that deal specifically with applications of laser therapy to dentistry and veterinary use. Overall, the authors accomplish the main aim of the book and it is written in a style suitable for the target audience. Since it deals with the evidence base for laser therapy, the use of literature is extensive and mostly up to date (considering the time needed to compile a book). Other books are available that deal with laser therapy and this book would complement them. Its presentation is good, but there could have been better use of illustrations to demonstrate fully the points made within the book. Gareth Noble PhD BSc
in section 3. It is small and light, and therefore portable. The text is applicable and affordable for individuals or libraries/departments, acting as a reference to ensure reliability of joint measurement both within and between examiners, but it requires prior medical knowledge to interpret. My main criticism of the book is the illustrations. The anatomy diagrams are very focused, and visualisation of the remainder of the limb(s) and exact joint positioning is sometimes difficult. However, the labelling of the diagrams is clear, and highlighting the articular surfaces useful. The photographs show the positioning of the limb and examiners’ handling (where relevant) but it is necessary to read through the accompanying text to determine the positioning of the goniometer. Some indication of this on the illustration would have made this much clearer, providing a quick review for more experienced clinicians not wishing to plough through the text first, or for inexperienced examiners who require a reminder of the reference point location, as visualisation of the descriptions is sometimes a little brain-taxing. In all, this is an easy-to-read text that would be useful as a reference for individuals or departments/libraries wishing to standardise their measurement of joint range. Addition of reference marking for the goniometer placement on the photographs would have added to its user-friendliness. Helen Evans MCSP APCP