During the career of every chiropractor or osteopath, the requirement to treat peripheral injuries arises constantly. Often treatment involves not only the immediate controlling of pain, but more importantly the complete long-term rehabilitation of the joint in question. It is at this stage that the physical therapist may need to come to grips with the idea of introducing closed chain exercises in the patient’s overall recovery regime.

Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises-A Comprehensive Guide to Multiple Joint Exercises by Ellenbecker and Davies is a very good starting point. Often the busy therapist needs a book that lends itself more to a ready reference rather than an in-depth theoretical discussion on a particular subject. This book still does refresh the reader on some of the theories and biomechanical principles of closed chain exercises while providing a number of useful and practical exercises.

The book is neatly divided into upper and lower limb exercises, which can be effortlessly applied in most occasions. Each section deals with function testing of the limb as a method for assessment and then outlines specific exercises for its rehabilitation and conditioning.

What the reader will also find helpful is that the authors will often reinforce the idea of different types of tests by referencing recent journal publications. This unfortunately is a feature that is all too rare in books of this nature and the authors should be congratulated on paying close attention to this aspect alone.

My only concern with this book is the use of specialised computerised machines in achieving some of the goals set out in this book. Having said this, there are enough examples of less complicated exercises which the moderately equipped osteopath or chiropractor can use in the clinic, thereby helping to achieve the patients individual recovery.

Overall this book provides a good starting point from which the manual therapist can begin the often long and arduous road of sound rehabilitation of the peripheral injury using an evidence based approach.

Practitioner Rating: 8.5/10
Student Rating: 9/10

Andrew L. Vitiello, Chiropractor