Books are notoriously wooden

burn them

What books do you need to be a good Neurorehabilitation PT:

Most of the universities have a a list of book to read for each subject. Most of the time we have a list which is similar to what is written in the proposed national syllabus. (as i have already noted, i find national syllabus useless idea and the syllabus is beyond stupid).

I am not thrilled with this list. Some of the book in this is ridiculously nonsensical and others are outdated.

What’s wrong with the books

The cash textbook should be recycled for toilet paper, it is just a bad book -with no science. It was written in the 80s and it is still in print because we are just lazy and our teachers don’t want to read and prepare for classes.

Then there are 2 books in the list which are pseudoscience:

1. Right in the middle- a book no one reads and people who read it need a brain enema. This book is just Patricia rambling about the trunk as though she has never read a neuroscience book in her life. Full of pseudoscience
   Synopsis: As the title suggests the middle part the trunk is the villain and the hero.

2. Therapy for stroke- by Johnstone. One of the books i read when i was doing my UG. I opened the book with so much enthusiasm. OMG, even when i was a dumb kid who had little understanding of neurology, i knew it was just rubbish. Synopsis: Breaking the synergy and other magics.

   Please stop adding this in recommended books. I know people read ppt and other shit- but stop recommending these.

3. PNF and Bobath are as you all know history. They have little value but sadly they are like fevicol. However, if you can read and understand the book written by Bobath- you should be smoking powerful stuff.
   Synopsis : facilitation and inhibition.

As textbooks i think O sullivan and umphred is enough, even though sadly both books rarely touch upon the basic science and principles of neurorehabilitation . These books are needed to learn trivial facts and write exams. Hardly useful for practice but thats the nature of writing a whole book covering the whole of PT.

Carr and shepard (my personal heros who i think changed PT more than anyone) Neurorehabilitation, optimizing motor performance is a good book (not up-to date conceptually and in terms of evidence). As i have a biased towards them need to read them with a pinch of salt.

books to read for BPT students:

1. However, all the books have very little principles and science behind Neurorehabilitation. I think for that we have to read Motor control theory and practice by Anne shumway cook et al. The book has some issues with updated evidence but that is easily rectifiable in classroom teaching.

2. I also think my book should be in the reading list. You should be mad to think i will not recommend my own book Stroke Rehabilitation: A Functional Activity Based Approach (again needs some updating for upper limb evidence) .

3. Additional reading list which i consider as basics:

   1. Neurophysiological Basis of Motor Control- mark latash

   2. The Behaviour Change Wheel - lou atkins et al

   3. Pain explained - ( this book should be in essential reading)

   4. Motor Learning and Performance: From Principles to Application (slightly outdated but still a good book)

There should also be some articles which should be in the compulsory reading list. These articles can be updated once in 2- 5 years.

Books which are missing

1. Sadly i don’t see any book for paediatric neurorehabilitation. I assume it is in some other paper?

2. Books on pain especially chronic pain is missing. why? not needed?

3. Books recommended for parkinson’s and other movement disorders is also missing. With the population ageing rapidly we need to have a good recommendation.

4. Another whole area which is missing - is prevention of stroke- we need books on prevention of stroke- (again rapidly ageing population)

I have not given recommendations for these as i have not read any newer books on these topics. So i don’t want to recommend book i read which i am sure are hopelessly outdated.

Postscript:

Remember all books are wooden. They cannot keep up with the changing state of evidence. Whether in basic or clinical sciences, the landscape of evidence is in constant changing. The MRP which was the state of the art in the 90s will not hold completely true now. As you know most of PT methods developed in the 1960s were based on that era neuroscience. Neuroscience has developed beyond stimulus response in case of movements or increased blood circulation as the reason for pain relief. So old ideas need to be put to rest- from Bobath to PNF- are they should be taught in a single class about its basics. That’s why i think those books need not be read by the newer generation. Instead we should be reading behaviour science and pain science in detail. Hence i have also added some tet book for them.

I know the list i have given is not complete but i am sure which need not be in the list.