Spasticity Management: A practical multidisciplinary guide
Edited by Valerie Stevenson and Louise Jarrett, foreword by Alan J Thompson.
Published by Informa Healthcare, UK, 2006,
200 pages, price: £169.95, ISBN:
978-1-84184-560-9 (hardback)
978-0-203-09054-1 (electronic).

This book offers an exhaustive and practical review of the most important aspects of spasticity treatment and management.

The first chapters describe the anatomical and pathophysiological bases and the clinical aspects of spasticity. There is also a chapter dedicated to the importance of education and the promotion of self-management. The physical management of spasticity is discussed using a number of diagrams and figures which are extremely helpful to show the practical activities that can be used in different rehabilitation settings.

There are three chapters devoted to the pharmacological treatment of focal and generalised spasticity, which describe the use of botulinum toxin, intrathecal baclofen and phenol injection, among other pharmacological management approaches.

I particularly enjoyed chapter eight on setting up a spasticity clinic, in which the authors provide practical suggestions based on their extensive experience in this field.

The last section of the book provides 14 appendices that summarise a number of specific issues such as outcome measures and managing an intrathecal baclofen pump. The inclusion of these appendices is particularly useful, and is often, unfortunately, not included in texts on symptom management.

The authors should be complimented on their layout and style. The text is structured into concise sections. Instructive summary tables and lists are often used. The major achievement of this book is that it provides an extensive amount of clinical and pharmacological information presented in a reader-friendly style. The references at the end of each chapter provide opportunities for further reading.

The only caveat is the lack of a description of the principal diseases related to spasticity in order to have a better understanding of the underlying bases of the symptom.

The book can be an important resource for specialists in neurology and rehabilitation medicine, but also for non-physician professionals. It can be a great reference for the multidisciplinary team caring for people with spasticity as well as for busy professionals who need quick answers.

Reviewed by Claudio Solaro, MD (Neurologist & Physiatrist), Department of Neurology, ASL 3 Hospitals, Genoa, Italy.

Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies
By Rosalind Kalb, Ph.D., Nancy Holland, RN, EdD, MSCN, Barbara Giesser, MD and David L. Lander.
Published by Wiley
Publishers, 2007, 362
pages, price: £21.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-05592-2.

I have read many books about how to deal with MS but I have never found a book like Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies before.

The book is divided into six parts (excluding the appendix), which give an A-to-Z about MS and its management.

The first two parts, “When MS Becomes Parts of your Life” and “Taking Charge of Your MS”, give a brief explanation about what MS is, how MS can affect our bodies, and what we should do if we’ve just been diagnosed with MS.

The next parts were “Staying Healthy and Feeling Well” and “Managing Lifestyle Issues”. I found these parts to be very useful, not only for a person with MS but also for their family and friends because they suggest solutions to some of the problems which could arise in the life of someone with MS and his/her social circle.

The last two parts, “Creating Your Safety Nets” and “The Parts of Tens” will make people with MS aware of how they can prepare for everything for living with MS in the future.

After reading every word in the book – which has a very clear and easy-to-understand explanation of MS – I think this book can really open the dummies’ eyes. It’s really worth reading!

Reviewed by Kanya Puspokusumo, writer and editor of a health magazine and President of the Indonesia Multiple Sclerosis Group.