BOOK REVIEW |
The Neck Book. G. Waddell, J. Klaber-Moffett and K. Burton. Published by The Stationery Office, 2004. ISBN-0-11-703321-9. Price: £1.50 for a single copy, reductions for bulk purchases
Neck pain can be troublesome and is a significant cause of time lost from work. Like back pain it is surrounded by a lot of misconceptions and entrenched ideas about management. Patients, workers and doctors often adopt a ‘wrapping up in cotton wool’ approach which is contrary to the evidence about what works.This small book, consisting of just 27 pages, seeks to educate its target audience, the patient (or the worker) about the cause of neck pain, how it is rarely serious and outlines the management based on evidence from the medical literature. The book is a companion to The Whiplash Book which was published by two of the authors a year or two ago. The authors of The Neck Book are experts in orthopaedics, biomechanics and physiotherapy and so the book provides a multi-disciplinary view of the problem and its solution.
The book is attractively laid out, easy to read in one go and provides simple line drawings to illustrate its points. It shows how to do exercises and provides useful guidance on how to stay active both at home and at work. Unlike many guides it has a holistic approach and makes clear the role of anxiety and stress in perpetuating neck pain.
The strong evidence-based message is ‘stay active and live a normal life’. The book makes it clear to readers that people who cope with their symptoms do better than those who avoid activity thus conveying a message most (if not all) occupational physicians would support.
The book meets his objectives with its target audience and would be a useful tool for the armoury of occupational physicians in clinical practice. It is not only, in my opinion, a five star essential for the bookshelf but also a four star buy (several copies) and give it out to sufferers!
Rating
(Essential for the bookshelf)
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