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Excerpt
The credentials of the authors of this monograph are impeccable. Burgess has had a lifelong involvement with amputation procedures and prosthetic fitting. Rappaport is well known for his contributions to the prosthetic field; he is not only a prosthetist but also a consumer due to loss of a limb as a teenager. Together, they have produced a very readable text for users of prostheses.
The monograph is divided into three sections: physical-fitness guidelines, conditioning exercises, and activities for fitness and skill.
The section on guidelines for physical fitness is written for the layperson but certainly will be of general interest to medical students as well as junior residents in orthopaedics, physical medicine, and family medicine.
There is a much-needed emphasis on the importance of the warm-up and, especially, of the cool-down. There is a separate section on calisthenics. The purpose of each exercise is explained, with excellent illustrations demonstrating how to perform it; modifications that can be added are discussed. Stretching exercises are similarly presented, with clear illustrations depicting the important points of performance.
Muscle-conditioning exercises are discussed for each anatomical area. The explanations are concise, with precise wording of how to perform the activity to condition the major muscle groups selectively. This section is well done and will be an excellent reference for athletes, whether they are disabled or able-bodied. Appropriate cautions and warnings for specific exercises are highlighted in bold print.
The last section of the book, on activities for fitness and skill, covers prosthetic options. Specific sports, such as walking, running, aerobic dancing, and swimming, are addressed in some detail. Included in each of these chapters are illustrations of the prosthetic adaptations necessary and specific for that sport. The text closes with a list of organizational resources related to sports for the disabled.
This is a well written, illustrative manual for physical fitness, specifically intended for the lay consumer who has a limb disability, but most of the presentations could be applied equally to the able-bodied. The sports-minded individual who has had an amputation, and therapists, medical students, and junior-level residents who are interested in sports for the able-bodied and the disabled, will find this an excellent resource for their personal libraries. It should also be considered for purchase by medical-school libraries.
