Principles of Therapeutic Exercise for the Physical Therapist Assistant

"If you are looking for one source to cover the most important aspects of therapeutic exercise delivery by PTAs, look no further! Principles of Therapeutic Exercise for the Physical Therapist Assistant will be your students’ guide through the entire program of study....Principles of Therapeutic Exercise for the Physical Therapist Assistant will easily replace three textbooks and will likely be the one text kept in the clinician’s professional library for years to come!"

—LaVonne E. Couch, PT, DPT, EdD, CSCS, Director of Clinical Education, DPT Program, Temple University College of Public Health

"A detailed and inclusive textbook for the PTA student. Principles on Therapeutic Exercise for the Physical Therapist Assistant is designed to help the student understand the principles of therapeutic exercise, the management guidelines, and the hands-on application of these clinical skills. It is one of the most up-to-date and inclusive therapeutic exercise textbooks on the market dedicated to PTA education."

—Anna Marie Prado, PTA, M.Ed., PTA Program Director, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

"Nice to see a comprehensive textbook on therapeutic exercise that was written specifically for the PTA. The book provides a nicely organized and well written resource for understanding the principles of the therapeutic exercise. The authors made good use of graphics and tables draw attention to safety considerations and exercise technique."

—Lori Hurtak, PT, DPT, PTA Program Director, Concorde Career Institute, Jacksonville

"The authors have done an excellent job providing content specific and relevant to the needs of the PTA. Students will appreciate the tables that provide clear and concise information. The photographs are clear and relevant to the content. The current references at the end of each chapter will be useful for those seeking additional information. The authors have thoughtfully provided case students and review questions at the end of each chapter that can be incorporated into classes, or used as homework assignments."

—Jennifer S. McDonald, PT, DPT, MS, Director of Clinical Education, PTA Program, SUNY Canton

"If a PTA Program is looking for one textbook that provides information on a variety subjects, this is it. This textbook provides a wealth of clinically relevant information for the PTA. Students and faculty will both appreciate the 'Key Safety Considerations', 'Eye on Research' and 'Clinical Tips' sections to help guide clinical decisions and treatments."

—Susan Callanan, PTA Program Leader, North Iowa Area Community College

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Principles of Therapeutic Exercise for the Physical Therapist Assistant is a textbook that provides PTA educators, students, and practicing clinicians with a guide to the application of therapeutic exercise across the continuum of care.
 
Written by 2 seasoned clinicians with more than 40 years of combined PTA education experience, Principles of Therapeutic Exercise for the Physical Therapist Assistant focuses on developing the learner’s ability to create effective therapeutic exercise programs, as well as to safely and appropriately monitor and progress the patient within the physical therapy plan of care. The content is written in a style conducive to a new learner developing comprehension, while still providing adequate depth as well as access to newer research.
 
Included in Principles of Therapeutic Exercise for the Physical Therapist Assistant are:
•        Indications, contraindications, and red flags associated with various exercise interventions
•        Documentation tips
•        Easy-to-follow tables to aid in understanding comprehensive treatment guidelines across the phases of rehabilitation
•        Eye on the Research sections throughout the text dedicated to current research and evidence-based practices
 
Also included with the text are online supplemental materials for faculty use in the classroom, consisting of PowerPoint slides and an Instructor’s Manual (complete with review questions and quizzes).
 
Created specifically to meet the educational needs of PTA students, faculty, and clinicians, Principles of Therapeutic Exercise for the Physical Therapist Assistant is an exceptional, up-to-date guidebook that encompasses the principles of therapeutic science across the entire continuum of care.

Contents

Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Contributing Authors
Foreword by Kenneth R. Amsler, PT, PhD, CHCQM
Introduction

Section I         Theory and Principles of Therapeutic Exercise
Chapter 1        Introduction to Therapeutic Exercise
Chapter 2        Implementing a Therapeutic Exercise Program
Chapter 3        Injuries, Tissue Healing, and Surgical Interventions
Chapter 4        Range of Motion and Manual Therapy Techniques
Chapter 5        Stretching and Flexibility
Chapter 6        Principles of Muscle Strengthening and Performance
Chapter 7        Posture, Pregait, and Gait Training Interventions
Chapter 8        Balance Training and Vestibular Rehabilitation
Chapter 9        Aerobic Conditioning
Chapter 10      Aquatic Therapy

Section II        Therapeutic Exercise Interventions for Orthopedic Conditions
Chapter 11      Orthopedic Considerations
Chapter 12      Therapeutic Exercise for the Upper Extremity
Chapter 13      Management of Lower Extremity Orthopedic Conditions
Chapter 14      Management of Cervical and Thoracic Spine Orthopedic Conditions
Chapter 15      Lumbar Spine and Sacroiliac Joint: Common Diagnoses and Orthopedic Management

Section III      Specific Applications of Therapeutic Exercise
Chapter 16      Exercise Considerations for Persons With Neurologic Diagnoses
Chapter 17      Therapeutic Exercise Considerations After Lower Extremity Amputation
Chapter 18      Pulmonary Conditions and Treatment Interventions
Chapter 19      Physical Therapy Interventions for Persons With an Oncologic and/or Lymphedema Diagnosis
Chapter 20      Exercise for the Medically Complex Patient
Chapter 21      Pelvic Floor and Women’s Health Exercises
Chapter 22      Workplace Rehabilitation, Ergonomics, and Safety
Chapter 23      Considerations for Athletes
 
Glossary
Appendix A        Therapeutic Exercise/Orthopedic Progressions
Appendix B        Treatment Plan Development Guide
Appendix C        Sample Exercise Prescription
Appendix D       Student Worksheet: Home Exercise Program Prescription
Appendix E       Common Indications
Appendix F       Dermatome Map
Appendix G      Referred Pain Patterns of the Organs
Financial Disclosures
Index
 

About the Editors

Jacki Klaczak Kopack, PT, DPT, has served as a professor and physical therapist assistant program director at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, for 23 years. Her teaching responsibilities have included pathophysiology, kinesiology, functional anatomy, therapeutic exercise, rehabilitation, and evidence-based practice. She completed her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (now St. Joseph’s University), and her doctorate in physical therapy from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is currently working toward a doctorate of education degree (executive leadership) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in St. Augustine, Florida. She is a 2013 recipient of the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching and a 2005 recipient of the Philip Klein Memorial Award for outstanding service to Harcum College. Dr. Kopack’s clinical practice spans 30 years across the inpatient continuum of care, including intensive care unit, acute care, acute rehabilitation, and subacute rehabilitation settings. Dr. Kopack served as a clinical instructor, a center coordinator of clinical education, and a director of rehabilitation in the clinical setting before transitioning to academia. Dr. Kopack strives to support the physical therapy profession and has done so in a variety of ways throughout her career. She served as an item writer for the Federation of the State Board of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) and the Practice Exam and Assessment Tool from 2011 to 2018. She was inducted into the FSBPT Academy of Advanced Item Writers in 2015. Dr. Kopack completed an extended term as a board-appointed member of the FSBPT Physical Therapist Assistant Exam Development Committee (2019–2022), and is currently serving as a co-chair for the FSBPT Physical Therapist Assistant Exam Development Committee. Dr. Kopack has served as an American Physical Therapy Association reviewer for physical therapist assistant recognition of advanced proficiency applicants and as a Combined Sections Meeting and Educational Leadership Conference proposal and abstract reviewer. She is a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education–appointed physical therapy education on-site reviewer and team leader. Dr. Kopack served as an elected Pennsylvania delegate to the American Physical Therapy Association House of Delegates from 2020 to 2022 and currently serves as an alternate delegate. Dr. Kopack is a frequent reviewer for physical therapist assistant textbook publishers, providing content analysis specific to physical therapist assistant curriculum content. She has presented regionally and nationally on topics related to evidence-based practice, physical therapist assistant education, and the development of the faculty team.

Karen A. Cascardi, PhD, MS, ATC, PTA, was the director of clinical education and an assistant professor at South University Physical Therapist Assistant Program in West Palm Beach, Florida, for 20 years. In addition to her clinical education responsibilities, her teaching responsibilities in the physical therapist assistant program included therapeutic exercise, kinesiology, habilitation/rehabilitation, and current issues. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Ashland College in Ashland, Ohio; her master’s of science degree at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana; her associate’s degree in physical therapist assistant at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida; and her PhD in health sciences education and research from Touro University International in Cypress, California. She published her dissertation in 2008 (The Relationship of Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex [VOR] Function to Falling in the Past Year Among Physically Active Community-Dwelling Adults 75 Years and Older). Dr. Cascardi’s clinical experience spans more than 40 years as a certified athletic trainer and physical therapist assistant mostly in the outpatient setting with specialties in sports medicine, orthopedics, and vestibular rehabilitation. She continues to lecture on balance and vestibular rehabilitation.
During her career and now in retirement, she continues to give back to the physical therapy profession by volunteering as an advanced item writer and item writer coordinator for the FSBPT. She was inducted into the Academy of Advanced Item Writers and received the Outstanding Service Award twice. Dr. Cascardi served 6 years on both the Item Bank Review Committee and the Exam Development Committee. She also works with the Area Agency on Aging Healthy Living in West Palm Beach, Florida, and is on the Advisory Council and Strategic Planning Committee.