Physiotherapy July 2001/vol 87/no 7

387Book reviews

Stanley Thornes, Cheltenham1997 (ISBN 0 7487 3297 7). 224 pages

by Melanie Brown and Agnes Mikula-Toth £15This well-presented book is intended to provide prof-essionals and participants with a working knowledge ofconductive education for adults, in which there has beenincreasing interest during the last decade. The authors areboth senior conductors at the National Institute ofConductive Education in Birmingham, and have bothstudied at the Peto Institute in Hungary. Although thoughtby many to be a system of habilitation for disabled children,particularly those with cerebral palsy, emphasis is placedthroughout the book on the application of conductiveeducation for adults with neurological conditions.

After a brief introduction in which the paucity ofliterature and unclear theoretical background of conductiveeducation is outlined, the book is presented in three parts.It is based on experience within the UK and the practicalexamples are from this culture.

Part 1, aimed at participants and professionals, describeswhat conductive education involves in practice, outliningthe various roles involved. This includes a chapter onequipment and the use of aids.

Part 2 comprises chapters on the following: Parkinson’sdisease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic head injury, stroke, andcerebral palsy in adulthood -- which is a particularlyinteresting chapter. The final chapter outlines the taskseries, which together form a programme of conductiveeducation, for each of the five conditions.

Part 3 begins with a subjective study of users. In this thesubjects were self-selected and the sample small (n = 13). Inthe following chapter nine case studies are presented, andthe final chapter is in the form of questions and answers.

The book concludes with a useful references and furtherreading section, and a list of useful addresses. The mostrecent of these is, however, 1996.

It is the authors’ intent that the book should be a guide toimprove understanding for both professionals andparticipants and in this I feel it succeeds, and will promptreaders to seek further information. Throughout the bookemphasis is placed on the carers of people with theseconditions which is both instructive and thought-provoking,as is the chapter on cerebral palsy in adulthood.

I feel the book would be helpful to those consideringstudying conductive education, those receiving it and thosecaring for them. It would also be useful in healthcarelibraries.

Alison Hurst MSc MCSP

Adult Conductive Education A practical guide

Pharmaceutical Products Press, Binghamton, NY 2000 (ISBN 0 7890 1014 3). 247 pages

edited by Arthur G Lipman PharmD FASHP, Kenneth C Jackson, PharmD and Linda S Tyler PharmD FASHP $29.95This concise book makes a thorough attempt to provideclinical guidelines for the management of commonproblems encountered in palliative care, based on theavailable evidence. Fifteen symptoms are included; pain andany neurological problems being absent (both wouldrequire a large text of their own).

The material is well organised into chapters, eachfollowing the same format of algorithm, literature review,evidence and drug tables, discussion, research questions andreferences, with a concise summary and conclusion plus keywords.

There is a brief introductory chapter including the historyof modern hospice care, the availability of evidence,problems of conducting studies in this field, and symptomprevalence. There are also helpful appendices whichinclude tools and resources available for clinicians to keepup to date with best evidence, and on the Cochrane Library

and accessing systematic reviews, as well as a comprehensiveindex.

The book concentrates mainly on drug therapy and willtherefore be of most interest to doctors. All the contributorsare practising in the USA or Canada, and there maytherefore be some occasional differences in terminologyand availability of drugs. The costings given are all in dollars.

Chapters vary in the adequacy of cover they give to non-pharmacological strategies which are more likely to be ofinterest to physiotherapists. The chapter on constipationlists non-pharmacological approaches very thoroughly,whereas those on anxiety and depression give them veryscant coverage. ‘Supportive therapy’ is listed in the dyspnoeachapter but excluded from the algorithm. Exercise is barelymentioned throughout the entire book, despite someevidence that it may be beneficial in the management ofboth depression and fatigue.

Unfortunately the proof-reading has been poor, and thereare a number of spelling and typographical errors. In oneinstance this makes a nonsense of the text.

This book is of limited relevance to physiotherapists,although it could be useful to those working in this field asa quick reference for available treatments for commonsymptoms, and particularly the use of drugs.

Ann Elfred BSc MCSP

Evidence Based Symptom Control in Palliative Care