Tetraplegia and paraplegia

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.
The layout of the material may seem repetitious but it is intended
to facilitate the use of the book for those who are involved in handling the patients and believe as I do that effi cient treatment depends
upon attention to detail. For clarity in the sections involving specific
actions of patient and therapist, ‘his’ is always used for the patient
and ‘her’ for the therapist. Both ordinal and metric systems of measurement have been given in this edition. The most commonly used
system (such as that by the manufacturer) is placed first. The biomechanical principles of transferring have now been included as a
basis for the chapters which follow in the hope that they may prove
useful to both students and others.