Medical treatment guidelines are written from a clinical perspective, to guide clinical care. The review criteria that will be included in this issue of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Clinics are evidence based and are developed by practicing physicians and advisors who work in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Health care providers are expected to be familiar with the guidelines and follow the recommendations. Good medical judgment is important in deciding how to use and interpret this information.

Handbook of Pain and Palliative Care:Biobehavioral Approaches for the Life Course Rhonda J. Moore, editor This book takes both a biobehavioral and a lifespan approach to understanding long-term and chronic pain, and intervening to optimize patients' functioning. Rich in clinical diversity, chapters explore emerging areas of interest (computer-based interventions, fibromyalgia, stress), ongoing concerns (cancer pain, low back pain), and special populations (pediatric, elderly, military). This coverage provides readers with a knowledge base in assessment, treatment, and management that is up to date, practice strengthening, and forward looking. Subject areas featured in the Handbook include: Patient-practitioner communication Assessment tools and strategies Common pain conditions across the lifespan Biobehavioral mechanisms of chronic pain Pharmaceutical, neurological, and rehabilitative interventions Psychosocial, complementary/alternative, narrative, and spiritual approaches Ethical issue and future directions With the rise of integrative perspective and the emphasis on overall quality of life rather than discrete symptoms, pain management is gaining importance across medical disciplines. Handbook of Pain and Palliative Care stands out as a one-stop reference for a range of professionals, including health practitioners specializing in pain management or palliative care, clinical and health psychologists, public health professionals, and clinicians and administrators in long-term care and hospice.

This volume, is developed from a collaborative study sponsored by the World Health Organization over a period of five years, the result of the combined effort of over 30 experts working in 19 different countries. The book presents a comprehensive survey of the development, policy, and procedures of methadone maintenance in countries with experience in this treatment. In addition to presenting a general overview of methadone's role in treating opioid addiction, the volume also focuses on specific questions of current interest, particularly the critical issue of methadone maintenance in the prevention of AIDS. Public health specialists and policymakers will find this book an invaluable source of information about what can be expected from methadone maintenance programs and why such programs have achieved some success in the rehabilitation of opiate users, while so many other attempts in this area have failed.

Following an introductory chapter, the contributors look at the impact of AIDS epidemiology on methadone policy. The role of methadone in addressing intravenous drug abuse and unsafe sex practices in drug dependent persons is explored in an attempt to assess the ability of methadone maintenance programs to stem the spread of AIDS. Subsequent chapters review the world literature on methadone in treating opioid dependency, explore national policies and practices regarding methadone maintenance, present an international survey of methadone's role, and analyze the present state of research on methadone. A bibliography and index complete the volume.

Sports Rehabilitation is a multi-disciplinary approach to treat injuries sustained through sports participation so the athlete can regain normal pain-free mobility. The primary goal is to return to pre-injury activities, whether the athlete is a professional, amateur or casual player. Articles to include ACL/Knee rehabilitation, Foot Intrinsics and Balance, Hamstring rehabilitation in runners, Rehabilitation of the throwing athlete, Concussion rehabilitation and many more!

This groundbreaking annual review has provided nearly three decades of knowledge, insight, and research on topics critical to the field of nursing. The 33rd volume delivers the most current research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) with a focus on its implications for improving health and wellbeing. The book examines promising new interventions for individuals suffering from TBI with supporting research about their efficaciousness. Invited experts--highly respected nurse scientists working in a variety of TBI-related arenas--stress outcomes and symptom development post-TBI. The Review encompasses current military research on TBI along with animal models in TBI research. It addresses the relationship of sleep disorders to TBI-related PSTD; biomarkers related to recovery from TBI; genomics, transciptomics, and epigenomics; cerebral perfusion pressure and intracranial pressure in TBI; and an informatics system for TBI research. Also covered are TBI in pediatrics and in caregiver research. Additionally, the Review also provides a unique literature review of under-reported research. Key Topics Military Research on TBI Animal Models in TBI Research PSTD and Sleep Post-TBI Biomarkers Related to Recovery Post-TBI Genomics, Transcriptomics, and Epigenomics in TBI Research Common Data Elements and Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury: Research Informatics System for TBI Research Cerebral Perfusion Pressure and Intracranial Pressure in TBI TBI in Pediatrics TBI in Caregiver Research

This book presents current innovative, alternative and creative approaches that challenge traditional mechanisms in and across disciplines and industries targeting societal impact. A common thread throughout the book is human-centered, uni and multi-modal strategies across the range of human technologies, including sensing and stimuli; virtual and augmented worlds; games for serious applications; accessibility; digital-ethics and more. Focusing on engaging, meaningful, and motivating activities that at the same time offer systemic information on human condition, performance and progress, the book is of interest to anyone seeking to gain insights into the field, be they students, teachers, practicing professionals, consultants, or family representatives. By offering a wider perspective, it addresses the need for a core text that evokes and provokes, engages and demands and stimulates and satisfies.

This issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America is devoted to "Difficult to Treat Pain Syndromes," and is edited by Adam L. Schreiber, DO of the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Articles in this issue will include: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosis; Non-surgical Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Parsonage Turner Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment; Trochanteric Pain Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment; Discogenic Spine Pain Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment; Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment; Myofascial Pain Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatments; Opioid Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment; Spinal Cord Pain Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment; Cerebral Vascular Accident Hemishoulder Pain Syndrome Diagnosis and Treatment; and Cancer Pain Syndromes. "Each chapter follows a pattern of discussion through diagnosis in terms of up-to-date criteria." Reviewed by Paul Cameron, January 2015

This issue includes a range of topics in SCI from acute neuroprotection to chronic complications, focusing on some of the technological advances that have informed specific areas.

This book examines the new knowledge that has been gained from the objective monitoring of habitual physical activity by means of pedometers and accelerometers. It reviews current advances in the technology of activity monitoring and details advantages of objective monitors relative to physical activity questionnaires. It points to continuing gaps in knowledge, and explores the potential for further advances in the design of objective monitoring devices. Epidemiologists have studied relationships between questionnaire assessments of habitual physical activity and various medical conditions for some seventy years. In general, they have observed positive associations between regular exercise and good health, but because of inherent limitations in the reliability and accuracy of physical activity questionnaires, optimal exercise recommendations for the prevention and treatment of disease have remained unclear. Inexpensive pedometers and accelerometers now offer the epidemiologist the potential to collect relatively precisely graded and objective information on the volume, intensity and patterns of effort that people are undertaking, to relate this data to past and future health experience, and to establish dose/response relationships between physical activity and the various components of health. Such information is important both in assessing the causal nature of the observed associations and in establishing evidence-based recommendations concerning the minimal levels of daily physical activity needed to maintain good health.

This issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America is devoted to "Amputee Rehabilitation." Editor Robert Meier, III, MD is the Medical Director of the Amputee Services of America and has assembled the top experts to review this important topic. Articles in this issue include: Principles of Contemporary Amputee Rehabilitation; Etiology and Demographics of Amputation; Surgical Techniques for Ideal Outcomes; Pre-prosthetic Care; Prosthetic Choices for Leg and Arm Amputees; Devising the Prosthetic Prescription and Typical Examples; Prosthetic Training; Complications Following an Amputation; Outcomes Measurement; Gait Evaluation for the Leg Amputee; Innovative Techniques and Future Options; Emotional Adaptation to Limb Loss; Pain Management for the Amputee; and Amputation Classification and Functional Outcomes.

Written to satisfy a wide audience, from basic scientist to clinical researcher, this volume explores such varied concepts as: the influence of CBF in the pathotrajectory of TBI, modeling TBI as a means to understand underlying pathological states associated with brain injury victims, disrupted vasculature following head trauma and advanced imaging techniques, vasoreactive substances underlying disrupted blood flow, the role of age and sex on injury outcome, and the latest pre-clinical rationale for focusing on CBF and strategies to improve blood flow as a means to improve outcome in patients suffering the effects of TBI.

This issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics devoted to Life Care Planning is Guest Edited by Michel Lacerte, MD, Richard Paul Bonfiglio, MD, and Cloie B. Johnson, M.Ed., ABVE, CCM. This issue will focus on the long-term care of a patient's rehabilitation, typically after a major life event. Articles in this issue will focus on the life care planning of patients with spinal cord injury, acquired brain injury, spinal pain, Cerebral Palsy, neuropathic pain, and life care planning for amputees. Other articles in this issue include: The Life Care Planning Process; The Physiatrist's Role in Life Care Planning; Life Expectancy Determination; and Vocational Rehabilitation and Work Life Expectancy.

This book explores comorbidity in patients with rheumatic diseases and details both care and treatment options in standard clinical practice. Patients with rheumatic diseases are clinically complex, and the interplay of their disease activity with associated conditions may lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Recently there have been major advances in the management of rheumatic diseases, however, without addressing the potential comorbid conditions, including cardiovascular disease; pulmonary disease; and depression; outcomes remain poor. With its 19 chapters, covering the management of major rheumatic diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus , and osteoarthritis), potential comorbidities and treatment recommendations, as well as possible interactions between conditions; this book addresses the gap between textbook medicine and day to day patients' care. Authors also discuss the new hot issue of the comorbidity index, comparing the standard tools to the recently developed indices and how they can assist the rheumatologists in determining disease burden, prognosis, and comorbidity probability. This book is an ideal clinical guide and reference that enables rheumatologists, internal medicine physicians, and residents to address the full clinical expression of these rheumatic diseases with views towards prevention or early management of comorbid conditions.

"This is a very substantive book that encompasses the various aspects of advance care planning, both prior to and after a diagnosis of a life-limiting disease. The realistic case studies help readers understand the complexities of decision-making by the individual and the family."--Doody's Medical Reviews

While advance directives hold a great deal of promise for ensuring self-determination and quality of life near its end, the majority of Americans face life-threatening illness without having completed effective advance care planning.. This volume recounts the history of advance directives, chronicling the evolution of an approach that initially focused on completing forms, to one that now emphasizes more comprehensive strategies for facilitating conversations about end-of-life care and planning for dying and death. It provides helpful strategies for initiating and guiding discussions among providers, patients, and their loved ones, easing the burdens of uncertainty, and improving the efficacy of surrogate decision making near the end of life.

Scholars and practitioners from a variety of disciplines provide a well-rounded view of the history and challenges of advance directives. Authors include palliative care physicians, nurses, social workers, grief counselors, educators, lawyers, psychologists, sociologists, and medical ethicists. The book shares successful strategies on how effective advance care planning can provide smoother transitions at the end of life and ensure better quality of living before death. It incorporates effective multidisciplinary, relationship-based models of advance care planning along with multidisciplinary perspectives to help caregiving professionals initiate conversations and disseminate relevant information to patients and their loved ones and advocates. Case studies illustrate the importance of, challenges with, and prospects for advance directives and advance care planning. The book addresses common barriers to advance care planning and offers ways to overcome them, as well as detailing public health, legal, and comprehensive community planning approaches to change how our current American society deals with dying, death, and end-of-life care. Key Features:

Introduces a multidisciplinary, pragmatic approach to advance care planning Addresses strategies to reform advance care planning Presents case studies illustrating the importance, benefits, and challenges of advance directives Features successful initiatives in advance care planning and new directions that shift community practice related to dying, death, and end-of-life care. Includes the contributions of physicians, grief counselors, medical ethicists, social workers, psychologists, medical ethicists, lawyers, nurses, educators, and others

Issue will cover: sinle muscle fiber electrophysiology, skinned muscle fibers, magnetic resonance imaging in muscular dystrophy, ultrasound of nerve and muscle, microgenomics of the motor neuron system, and electrodiagnostic studies in animal models.

Rapidly growing knowledge in systems neuroscience may contribute to expand the range of activities in persons with disabilities, but in its practical application, cooperation between experts in different research fields is necessary. In this conference, the guest speakers and audiences will be from wide range of research fields; e.g., systems-neuroscience, neurology, engineering, psychology, and the attendees will discuss the possibilities.

As the number of individuals undergoing rehabilitation medicine in a variety of rehabilitation settings increases, more and more patient safety concerns are being raised. Regulatory and accreditation organizations are scrutinizing the safety of patients in both hospital and rehabilitation settings and the general public and payors are demanding that patient safety is at the top of the agenda for institutions providing care. As leaders in the practice of rehabilitation medicine, physiatrists need to be educated on this important topic. The goal of this issue is to provide the reader with a foundation on the topic of patient safety as it applies to the practice of rehabilitation medicine as well as a set of tools that can be used to improve the safety of rehabilitation patients.

Epidemiology of Sports Concussions, Pathophysiology of Concussion in Youth, On the Field Identification and Sideline Management of Concussion, Return to Play Decisions, Diagnosis of Concussion: The Role of Imaging Now and In Future, Use of Neuropsychological Examinations, Subacute Management of Concussion Related Symptoms, Long Term Consequences: Effects on Normal Development Profile After Concussion, School and the Concussed Youth, Community Response to Concussion: Legislative Updates, Best Practices in Concussion Education and Prevention
Epidemiology of Sports Concussions, Pathophysiology of Concussion in Youth, On the Field Identification and Sideline Management of Concussion, Return to Play Decisions, Diagnosis of Concussion: The Role of Imaging Now and In Future, Use of Neuropsychological Examinations, Subacute Management of Concussion Related Symptoms, Long Term Consequences: Effects on Normal Development Profile After Concussion, School and the Concussed Youth, Community Response to Concussion: Legislative Updates, Best Practices in Concussion Education and Prevention

Contents:
Part 1 Assessment and Treatment Planning: Assessment and Treatment Planning in Psychiatric Rehabilitation; Functional Assessment of Psychiatric Disability; Standardized Assessment of Social Skills; What do Patients Say about Program Planning?; Perspectives from the Patient-Authored Literature. Part 2 Social and Vocational Skills Development: Social Skills Training; Recreation and Activity Therapies in Social Skills Training; Vocational Rehabilitation of the Psychiatrically Disabled; Supported Employment in Vocational Rehabilitation; Case Management Interventions in Rehabilitation. Part 3 Group and Family Therapy in Rehabilitation: Behavioural Group Therapy in Rehabilitation Settings; Multiple Family Therapy in Rehabilitation.

Articles in this issue include: Brain Computer Interfaces; Computer Access; Environmental Control; Transportation Safety; Prosthetics; Control Interfaces; Telerehabilitation; Augmentative Communication; Future Clinical Implementation of Technology;Technology in Low Income Countries; Virtual Coach; Robotics; Handcycles; Wheelchair Basketball Quantification.

Articles in this issue include: A Biopsychosocial Perspective; Aging with a Physical Disability: Maintainance and Transition in Employment, Benefits, and Insurance; Psychological Functioning; Exercise and Physical Activity; Communication Issues; Pain, Fatigue, and Sleep Dysruption; Assistive Technology; Mobility and Falls Cognitions; Aging and Disabilties: Conceptual Issues; Aging with a Physical Disability: Bridging the Aging and Disability Nexus; Aging with Spinal Cord Injury; Aging with Multiple Sclerosis; Aging with Post-Polio Syndrome and Muscular Dystrophy; Aging with Cerebral Palsy.

The book is the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on NeuroRehabilitation (ICNR 2014), held 24th-26th June 2014 in Aalborg, Denmark. The conference featured the latest highlights in the emerging and interdisciplinary field of neural rehabilitation engineering and identified important healthcare challenges the scientific community will be faced with in the coming years. Edited and written by leading experts in the field, the book includes keynote papers, regular conference papers, and contributions to special and innovation sessions, covering the following main topics: neuro-rehabilitation applications and solutions for restoring impaired neurological functions; cutting-edge technologies and methods in neuro-rehabilitation; and translational challenges in neuro-rehabilitation. Thanks to its highly interdisciplinary approach, the book will not only be a highly relevant reference guide for academic researchers, engineers, neurophysiologists, neuroscientists, physicians and physiotherapists working at the forefront of their field, but will also help to act as bridge between the scientific, engineering and medical communities.

Articles in this issue include: Brain Computer Interfaces; Computer Access; Environmental Control; Transportation Safety; Prosthetics; Control Interfaces; Telerehabilitation; Augmentative Communication; Future Clinical Implementation of Technology;Technology in Low Income Countries; Virtual Coach; Robotics; Handcycles; Wheelchair Basketball Quantification.