Education opens doorways. Doorways that allow you to access your full intellectual potential, to better treat clients, to get your dream job, and to achieve true happiness through dedicated self-improvement.
As I continue to develop as a therapist, I have also started to receive more questions about general and specific resources for those looking to develop in the field of health, fitness, rehabilitation and performance. The following list of resources are ones that I have found influential for my own learning, but also ones which I commonly refer to clients, and other therapists. This list will continue to grow over the coming months and years.
NeuroKinetic Therapy: An Innovative Approach to Manual Muscle Testing, 1st Ed – A book by the new kid on the block, David Weinstock. It is actually a resource to be used during his course series “Neurokinetic Therapy” that works to reprogram muscle activation at a neurological level. His ideas are certainly innovative and I have heard that there has been great success from employing his techniques. I took his course, however I have yet to be convinced. Either way, this book provides an easy to follow description of select muscle tests.
Explain Pain – David Butler’s back again, but this time he recruited Dr. Lorimer Moseley to share his expertise. This is a fantastic resource – well illustrated and well written. In addition to reading it as a therapist, I would highly recommend it be read by all pain suffers – especially chronic pain.
The Pain Truth- Bahram Jam is a local educator and clinician based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In this book he describes chronic pain that has not responded to classic treatment approaches in a way that relieves readers provides them with a renewed sense of control.
Corrective Exercise
Movement: Functional Movement Systems – A book that has changed modern physiotherapy. Gray Cook has finally pushed into the spot light what therapists have known all along – functional training yields the best result. Furthermore, he along with numerous colleagues have developed systems to test movement patterns in people with and without pain. With this, he provides an algorithm to clarify why the problem may exist due to multisegmental dysfunctions, and also provides a road map with objective outcome measures to determine the patient’s progress.
Maintaining Your Body with Kelly Starrett (Video Series) - While some therapists may ask why I would include Kelly twice on my list, I answer that with: Kelly is an extremely smart, funny, (also intimidating), and influential man who can bring all of the technical jargon of the rehabilitation world down to the understanding of any layman or athlete. This video series was well worth the watch, even if 80% of it was reviewing movement “basics” that physios should already know.
Pathology Specific Literature to Guide Rehabilitation
Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, 5th Ed. - Stuart McGill uses up-to-date scientific evidence and reasoning to help readers develop an understanding of pathology, presentation, and rehabilitation back to daily life and sport.
Bullet Proof Knees – Mike Robertson put together this great resource manual on knee health and rehabilitation to bring athletes back from acute knee injury to sport performance.
Climb Injury Free - You can only do so much in a book, but Dr. Jared Vagy has certainly maximized its potential. This book presents a step-by-step system to help rehab and prevent rock climbing injuries. This book appears to be focused most on movement patterns and training tips. Bonus points for full colour, easy to understand language, and excerpts from professional climbers.
One Move Too Many- I've actually never been recommended this book by another climber or rehab professional, but it is one of the best in its class. The strength of this book is in its' authors background as practicing Sports Medicine Physicians. They do an excellent job at identifying and explaining injury pathology, and providing relevant advice. Bonus points for full colour and in-depth explanations.
The Rock Climber's Training Manual - Michael and Mark Anderson are both rock climbers that have put together a compendium of information that exceeds what most climbers will want to sit down and comb through. That being said, I have... and found it to be quite useful, although not incredibly straightforward or with easy readability. Without having read it yet, I have heard great reviews on the following book: Training For Climbing: A Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance. I have listened to numerous of Eric's Horst's podcasts and he is passionate, knowledgeable and a well known coach on the topic.
Training For The New Alpinism - A training manual written by Steve House and Scott Johnson... wow - that is priceless knowledge to me!!! Steve House is an alpinist that has been involved in the climbing domain for decades, invented new technology to improve climbing's safety, and pushed the limits of alpine climbing. Scott is a national level nordic ski coach and avid climber that understand the science of exercise physiology. The information they present brings training for alpine climbing from a recreational level to that of scientifically-derived cyclical training. It addresses everything from nutrition to physical exercise to psychological aspects.