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The fourth edition of Spinal Cord Injury: Functional Rehabilitation reflects current evidence and the expertise of various clinicians with experience in rehabilitation after spinal cord injury. It is the product of a team effort, with content experts updating and revising individual chapters and two editors, also content experts with extensive experience in the field, overseeing and contributing to the revisions.
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Each chapter has been updated to present current best practices, reflecting recent evidence and clinical practice guidelines where they exist. In addition, this edition includes a greater focus on therapeutic approaches to restoring locomotor function in patients with the potential to regain ambulatory ability using lower extremity musculature, presenting strategies consistent with current clinical practice guidelines. The text also addresses the critical question of determining whether a given patient will benefit most from therapeutic interventions that stress compensation, restoration of normal movement patterns, or a blend of the two.
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The lists of suggested resources have been expanded, and new Problem-Solving Exercises have been added to provide readers with more opportunities to practice their clinical reasoning skills. Additionally, images have been updated throughout the text.
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Over the years, we have been gratified to hear from many physical and occupational therapists who have let us know what a useful resource this text was for them as they learned how to work with patients with spinal cord injuries. We hope the fourth edition will continue to provide practical information and guidance for effective practice in today’s health-care environment.
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Martha Freeman Somers and Jade Bender-Burnett