Assistive Technology (AT) is the term used to describe products or technology-based services which support those with disabilities or other limitations to their daily activities, enabling them to enjoy a better quality of life. This book presents the proceedings of the 13th European Conference on the Advancement of Assistive Technology (AAATE 2015), held in Budapest, Hungary in September 2015. This biennial conference has established itself as a leading forum in the transdisciplinary area of Assistive Technology, providing a unique platform for the gathering of experts from around the world to review progress and challenges in the interdisciplinary fields which contribute to AT, such as research, development, manufacturing, supply, provision and policy. The theme of the 2015 conference is 'Attracting new areas and building bridges', and this book contains 138 reviewed papers and 28 poster presentations delivered at the conference, covering AT themes as diverse as aging, blindness, mobility, assisted living and accessibility for people with dementia and cognitive impairment. Offering a current overview of many aspects of AT, this book will be of interest to all those – from researchers and manufacturers to healthcare professionals and end-users – whose work or daily life involves the relationship between technology and disability.

This text offers a modern approach to hydrotherapy— the use of water, ice, steam, and hot and cold temperatures to improve or maintain health— as performed by massage therapists. Authored by an experienced massage therapist, this book presents clear, uncomplicated explanations of how hydrotherapy affects the body, and then demonstrates a wide variety of hydrotherapy treatments. The book suggests how massage therapists may use hydrotherapy treatments before and during massage sessions, or give these treatments to clients to do between sessions for faster and better results. The author presents real-life examples and case studies obtained through interviews with massage therapists, athletic trainers, physical therapists, naturopathic doctors, aquatic therapists, and medical doctors treating patients in a medical hydrotherapy setting.

Sleep is considered one of the vital signs and has become an important public health issue in our society. Thus, sleep impacts on overall health and, conversely, certain common medical conditions can impair sleep. Emerging evidence, in conjunction with clinical experience, demonstrates that physical therapy improves several sleep disorders and also optimized sleep contributes to boost rehabilitation. As health care professionals, physical therapists are singularly concerned with well-being and need to be competent to instruct their patients to rest and sleep. This book discusses evidences of physiotherapy and sleep medicine. It elucidates the neurophysiological background and mechanisms for physiotherapeutic resources and techniques, directing the future for promising research in the area. Divided in seven sections, the work initially addresses the basic concepts of sleep and physiotherapy and its relation to practice, including the importance of sleep medicine for health. The second section focuses on the basic conceptions of physical therapists' understanding and working in clinical practice and research with sleep.The next section reviews the most common sleep disturbances such as insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and respiratory sleep disturbances. Special populations, spotlighting childhood and adolescence, women physiologic reproductive stages, sleep and gender, and sleep and pain interactions are also examined. Last sections discuss the physical therapy resources to improve sleep and to treat sleep disturbances. This title is an essential resource not only for graduate students, residents, health professionals and physiotherapists working in prevention and rehabilitation, but also for researchers interested in screening, diagnostic and treatment innovations. It is addressed to neurologists, sleep medicine specialists and physical educators as well.

This is designed as a textbook for medical practitioners preparing for higher qualification examinations in pain medicine, as well as a reference book for other medical and allied healthcare workers. A unique feature of the book is its multidisciplinary approach to manage pain. This is reflected by the contributors' multi-national/cultural origin and the diversity in their medical background (anaesthesiology, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, internal medicine, clinical oncology, clinical psychology, nursing, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy). Essential topics in pain medicine are grouped under five sections: scientific basis of pain medicine, common clinical pain conditions, pain pharmacology, interventional procedures, and multidisciplinary approach. Different aspects and approaches in modern pain medicine are covered, including advances in research on pain mechanism, pain psychology, epidemiology, diagnosis, pain assessment, patient evaluation, pain medications, up-to-date interventional procedures, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other specialized therapeutic modalities. Besides the above topics, which assist the patient in fighting acute, chronnic, and cancer pain, there are two chapters dedicated to paediatric and geriatric patients respectively, as special consideration is need for these age groups.

With straightforward, in-depth coverage of the use of physical agents to improve patient outcomes, Physical Agents in Rehabilitation: An Evidence-Based Approach to Practice, 5th Edition reflects how physical agents and modalities are being discussed in the classroom. This new edition brings the ideal balance of evidence and practical instruction to the learning and practice of physical agents in rehabilitation. Comprehensive coverage of all physical agents includes the mechanisms, clinical effects, and application techniques for thermal agents, ultrasound, electrical currents, electromagnetic radiation, hydrotherapy, traction, and compression. Plus, each chapter includes a scientific rationale and step-by-step instructions in the use of the agent(s), as well as up-to-date research support and new Find the Evidence tables. The new edition is supported with electronic ancillaries including review questions for students, PowerPoints®, and links to all references on Medline. - Comprehensive coverage of all physical agents includes the mechanisms, clinical effects, and application techniques for thermal agents, ultrasound, electrical currents, electromagnetic radiation, hydrotherapy, traction, and compression. - Find the Evidence tables guide the reader in finding up-to-date, patient-specific evidence using the PICO framework. - UNIQUE Step-by-step illustrated application techniques boxes guide you in reproducing effective treatment options. - Electronic ancillaries - Electrical Stimulation, Ultrasound & Laser Light Handbook helps you to understand the material and can be printed out for quick reference to use in the clinical setting. - NEW! Chapter on biofeedback complements the coverage of powered devices used in rehabilitation. - UNIQUE! New Find the Evidence tables guide the reader in finding up-to-date, patient-specific evidence using the PICO framework.

Physical Management for Neurological Conditions comprehensively covers the essentials of neurorehabilitation starting with thirteen guiding principles, and a new chapter on clinical reasoning and assessment. It discusses the physical management of common neurological conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's followed by less common conditions such as inherited neurological conditions, motor neuron disease, polyneuropathies and muscle disorders. Produced by a team of international editors and experts, this fifth edition is the most up-to-date evidence-based textbook available for undergraduate students and qualified health professionals alike, focusing on selecting appropriate evidence-based tools rather than subscribing to any specific treatment approaches. It is a core physiotherapy textbook designed to provide students with everything they need to pass the neurological component of their degree. - Fully updated to provide comprehensive information on optimal physical management within movement limitations suitable for any health care context or environment - Using international case studies to apply theory to clinical practice - Easy to navigate and understand – for students, new graduates and therapists returning to practice or changing scope of practice. - New content on assessment, clinical reasoning, technology-based rehabilitation, and complex case management including disorders of consciousness and adults with cerebral palsy - Full update of the evidence-base within each chapter, including reference to the increased use of remote delivery of services and challenges accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic - New international authors

Covering all commonly used interventions for acute and chronic low back pain conditions, Evidence-Based Management of Low Back Pain consolidates current scientific studies and research evidence into a single, practical resource. Its multidisciplinary approach covers a wide scope of treatments from manual therapies to medical interventions to surgery, organizing interventions from least to most invasive. Editors Simon Dagenais and Scott Haldeman, along with expert contributors from a variety of clinical and academic institutions throughout the world, focus on the best available scientific evidence, summarizing the results from the strongest to the weakest types of studies. No other book makes it so easy to compare the different interventions and treatment approaches, giving you the tools to make better, more informed clinical decisions. - A multidisciplinary approach covers treatments from manual therapies to medical interventions to surgery, and many others in between. - An interdisciplinary approach enables health care providers to work together. - A logical, easy-to-follow organization covers information by intervention type, from least invasive to most invasive. - Integration of interventions provides information in a clinically useful way, so it's easier to consider more than one type of treatment or intervention for low back pain, and easier to see which methods should be tried first. - 155 illustrations include x-rays, photos, and drawings. - Tables and boxes summarize key information. - Evidence-based content allows you to make clinical decisions based on the ranking the best available scientific studies from strongest to weakest. - Patient history and examination chapters help in assessing the patient's condition and in ruling out serious pathology before making decisions about specific interventions. - Experienced editors and contributors are proven authors, researchers, and teachers, and practitioners, well known in the areas of orthopedics, pain management, chiropractic, physical therapy, and behavioral medicine as well as complementary and alternative medicine; the book's contributors include some of the leading clinical and research experts in the field of low back pain. - Coverage based on The Spine Journal special issue on low back pain ensures that topics are relevant and up to date. - A systematic review of interventions for low back pain includes these categories: patient education, exercise and rehabilitation, medications, manual therapy, physical modalities, complementary and alternative medicine, behavioral modification, injections, minimally invasive procedures, and surgery. - Surgical interventions include decompression, fusion, disc arthroplasty, and dynamic stabilization. - Additional coverage includes patient education and multidisciplinary rehabilitation.