The purpose of this book has always been to act as a manual for
physiotherapists faced with the challenge of treating patients with
tetraplegia and paraplegia. It is written particularly for those who
have little experience in this field or who do not have the benefi t of
working in a spinal injuries centre. The text is therefore not exhaustive
but suggests methods of treatment which have been used for
many years and found valuable for a large number of patients.
The principles of treatment were originally laid down by Sir
Ludwig Guttmann at the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke
Mandeville, in England where his interest in and enthusiasm for
physiotherapy are well known. Unlike many other textbooks on this
subject, this book outlines a rehabilitation programme from the day
of the patient’s admission as an acute lesion to the achievement of
individual maximum independence and includes treatment for
patients with incomplete lesions, those with lesions above C2 and the
particular problems encountered in treating children.