SPINAL SURGERY FOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS Format: Paperback

Pain and discomfort related to the spine are extremely common, to the extent that back and neck pain may be considered part of the human condition. In most instances, interventions are not necessary. However, surgery can be required in some situations, and may be considered as a valuable option in others. In order to enable accurate patient counselling and to help in fine-tuning indications for surgery (for example, after unsatisfactory relief from conservative pain management), physiotherapists and rehabilitation specialists should be aware of surgery rationales and techniques. In most cases, surgery does not stand on its own, and postoperative rehabilitation will benefit from a certain degree of surgical knowledge by the physiotherapist and rehabilitation specialist. Additionally, it is paramount that all spinal caregivers speak the same vocabulary and issue the same messages to the patient. This little book explains surgical reasoning and surgical techniques to non-surgeons. It aims at crossing the bridge between surgical and rehabilitation paradigms to the benefit of patients. The entire field is covered in a concise and comprehensive way, and will be a must-read in spinal rehabilitation practices.

Dr Bart Depreitere is a staff member neurosurgeon at the Universitaire Ziekenhuizen Leuven, where he is the President of the programme for multidisciplinary care. He is a Professor at KU Leuven, where he teaches neurosurgery and pathology of the spine. His research is focused on the physiology and biomechanics of traumatic brain injury. Additionally, he is the Vice President of the Spine Society of Belgium and coordinator of the Lower Back Pain project for the Belgian Healthcare Knowledge Centre.