Physiotherapy February 2000/vol 86/no 2

105Book reviews

Sheldon Press, London 1999 (ISBN 0 85969 811 4 ). Illus. 130 pages

by Maggie Black and Penny Gray £6.99The focus of this small volume, aimed primarily at computerusers, is how to manage repetitive strain injury. It is written by afreelance medical writer and a journalist who has survivedcomputer-induced RSI and draws on her experiences, whichinclude attending the pain management inpatient clinic INPUTat St Thomas' Hospital, and advocates the kind of approachesshe has found successful.

Starting with a very encouraging foreword by Dr CharlesPither, the Medical Director of INPUT, there are chapters withtitles which are meaningful to sufferers, such as 'What is mycomputer doing to me?' 'What can I do about my workstation?'and 'There must be some medical solution', followed by chapterson pain management techniques such as 'Fitness and flexibility','Pacing', 'Thoughts and feelings'.

The authors take a most sensible and practical approach to thiscomplex condition and emphasise self-help throughout. Thereis a very good understanding of the contributions physiotherapycan make from those who are particularly expert in this field,and there are positive comments on the experiences at theINPUT clinic. Verbatim quotes from patients who have beenhelped to manage their pain provide a useful and realisticbackdrop to accurate pathophysiological details and informationfrom all the pain management multidisciplinary team given in anaccessible style.

A brief synopsis of all alternative therapies from Pilates tohomoeopathy is given and readers are warned not to look for a magic cure and to stop going to any therapy which offers noimprovement within a few weeks.

There are user-friendly sections on ergonomic advice foradjusting workstations, fitness and flexibility, and how to dealwith a flare-up during a working day. Overall a positive approachis taken of the road to recovery, while the authors pull nopunches on the chronicity, complexity and long-term nature ofthe condition.

The book contains several well-chosen illustrations ofexercises, postures and examples of pain diaries and timetablesfor self-pacing. Appendices give relevant details of the law anduseful resource addresses for equipment, services, self-helpgroups and key websites.

While aimed at computer users and RSI sufferers, the bookprovides an excellent resource for practitioners and theirpatients alike and should be widely cited in health promotionliterature. The small A5 paperback format is easy to handle andprinted on good quality paper which will withstand continuedreference to the contents -- of much interest on all 130 pages. It is very good value for £6.99 and recommended as a usefulpurchase for individuals, libraries and physiotherapydepartments.

Barbara Richardson PhD MSc FCSP

Coping Successfully with RSI

Slack Incorporated, Thorofare, New Jersey1998 (ISBN 1 55642 293 8). 108 pages

by Tova Navarra £15.95This little book offers a guide to writing. It takes a journalisticapproach of 'who, what, when, where and why' and is aimed at allwho 'seek relief from pain attributable to writing anything froman incident report to a doctoral dissertation'. The author is anurse, who believes in the value of learning from other healthprofessionals. The book is targeted at those who work in nursing,social work, physical and occupational therapy.

It is written in an encouraging but unconventional personalstyle which is very readable and straightforward. The contentsare organised into 11 chapters which take readers through theprocess of writing from getting started, to plagiarism, writer’sblock, editing and proof-reading.

The American author uses anecdote freely with some veryamusing throw-away lines. Although obviously written from anursing background there are several physiotherapy andoccupational therapy examples. It is an eminently sensible bookwhich offers some useful journalistic tips, particularly ongrammar, punctuation and presentation. The personal writingstyle may not be to everybody's taste and it may be ofquestionable relevance to serious academic writing. On the otherhand, the light-hearted comments do indeed provide somethinguseful and entertaining on every page and the book does serveas a '"wake-up" call to writing, a cheer for empowerment' as theauthor intends.

It will be a useful addition to any healthcare library whichcaters for students of writing in all age groups and professionallevels. Some individuals may be moved to purchase their owncopy, but compared with the amount of information gained fromother similarly priced healthcare books this may be regarded assomething of a luxury.

Barbara Richardson PhD MSc FCSP

Toward Painless Writing A guide for health professionals

What can I do about my work station? The answer as supplied by ‘Copingwith RSI’

Neck and upperback understrain

IDEALTYPICALBreathinganddigestion restricted

Low backunder strain