Leon Chaitow
ND, DO, (UK) Registered Osteopath and Naturopath; Honorary Fellow and Former Senior Lecturer, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK; Fellow, British Naturopathic Association.; Fellow, College of Osteopaths, UK.
Christopher Gilbert
PhD, Assistant Professor, Social Sciences and Human Services Department, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ; Psychologist, Chronic Pain Management, Kaiser Permanente Medical Centre, san francisco Ca, USA.
Dinah Bradley
DipPhys, NZRP, MNZSP, Private Consultant, Respiratory Physiotherapist, Breathing Works, Auckland, New Zealand.
Churchill Livingstone Elsevier
Edinburgh 2013
ISBN: 9780702049804
Type and scope of book
This book answers many questions to the many facets of breathing disorders. It is a book that follows a range of holistic multidisciplinary approaches examining the many angles of the disease process. It is wide ranging look at the specialist subject of breathing disorders. It is so wide ranging that on initial reading appears disjointed. On further reading embraces a holistic approach to this common disorder.
Contents
1.0 What are breathing disorders
2.1 Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization
2.2 The structure and function of breathing
2.3 Nasal influences on breathing
3.0 Patterns of breathing dysfunction in hyperventilation and breathing disorders
4.0 Biochemical aspects of breathing
5.0 Interaction of psychological and emotional variables with breathing dysfunction
6.1 Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization: assessment methods
6.2 Osteopathic assess of structural changes related to BPD
6.3 Physiotherapy assessment approaches
6.4 Psychological assess of breathing problems
6.5 Questionaires and manual methods for assessing breathing dysfunction
6.6 Capnography assessment
7.1a Indirect approaches to breathing regulation
7.1b Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization treatment methods
7.2 Osteopathic treatment of thoracic and respiratory dysfunction
7.3 Physiotherapy in rehabilitation of breathing pattern disorders
7.4 Psychological training and treatment of breathing pattern disorders
7.5 Speech and singing
7.6 Breathing pattern disorders and the athlete
7.7 Capnography in treatment of BPD
8.1 Breathing pattern in longstanding pain disorders
8.1 Buteyko breathing method
8.3 Feldenkrais and breathing
8.4 Pilates in the rehabilitation of breathing disorders
8.5 Tai chi, Qigong, and breathing
8.6 A review of the use of yoga in breathing disorders
9.0 Self help approaches
Strengths
Initially this appeared a quirky disjointed book but on further reading it became a revelation and inspirational read. This reviewer learned a lot on a subject that the knowledge base was of the average ED nurse level. The book successfully teaches the reader on the finer points of breathing assessments.
Language used in the book is different to most factual nursing and medicine textbook. It is was flamboyant in style and uses many adjectives and quotes from English and history to colour the tone of the text. This was found to be challenging but exciting and entertaining in deciphering the information that was presented.
The drawings in the book are superb. The drawings are brilliant in the way they are able to explain a complex phenomenon simply. The use of blue colouring with the black and white drawing provide a awesome look for the book. This three coloured drawing were innovative and had a great style.
Section on singing and speech provided a great technique for the assessment of the breathing disorder. This shows the reader the voice pattern queues and clues for assessment. The section contained helpful hints and advise for patient talking techniques with breathing disorders.
The chapter on athletes provided useful information of breathing pattern of athletes. The book sites potential short and longer term harm, from over hyperinflation of lung in exercise in sub optimal conditions. Emergency nursing who are athletes or manage athletes will find this knowledge useful.
Capnography has been used a tool for measure tube placement for many years. The use of capnography for breathing disorder patients is a new but effective non invasive way of assessment in ED’s. The text examines the usefulness of this approach. It also uses capnography away from the acute setting to longer term assessment of breathing. This will be helpful in a research project that this reviewer is undertaking.
The overall strength of the book is post reading the clinician will be able to have improved assessment skills. The reader will focus more on the patterns and use of accessory muscles. It will take the clinician beyond just looking at a rate and pulse oximetry number to guide diagnosis and subsequent therapy.
Weaknesses
Initially it appears disjointed and is difficult to make sense of the chapters and their place and importance. Chapters appear to be random in order and length. Reading the contents list was not inspiring to commenced investigation of the books knowledge.
The weight given to certain sections appears to have more importance than other sections in the book. Chapter 7 examines breathing patterns of various disciplines of Buteyko, Feldenkrais, pilates, yoga, tai chi. Although of some interest to patient with breathing pattern disorders it relevance and weight given to this in the body of the work skews its importance.
The book could have included a editorial conclusion of the chapters at the end of the book. This would have put the knowledge in a context of its total content. A conclusion would have pulled the knowledge of the book together to make it comprehensive.
Recommended Readership
Aspiring respiratory experts will find this book helpful to there practice. It ability to assess breathing patterns is much more complicated than looking purely at rates will improve the readers ability to assess respiratory function.
Emergency nurses would find a better understanding of breathing patterns as this reviewer has found. Assessment of breath timings, use of upper and lower chest muscles and assessment of speech patterns were the big learning curves of the book that emergency nurses would find to be most useful knowledge for practice.
Emergency nurses undertaking post graduate studies with a respiratory focus would benefit greatly from reading the book. The books references also provides these students with further avenues and angles to find appropriate research studies for assignments.
Overall rating
Initially this was a confusing book to absorb. It has some areas that you wanted more information and some you wanted less. It is a challenging book in part that gives the reader a different approach to other similar texts. The books innovative approach exploring a variety of different theories gives the book a holistic look.
The book did add to this reviewers knowledge and made insight and access to further reading and knowledge. A innovative book that give gives the reader much knowledge and skills to improve practice. It is a book that will improve assessment technique and guide future practice. It has led to a penny drop moment for this reviewers research project.