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It
is not often I read a text book and wish I had written it! This book is
excellent. It is everything that lots of people and books have taught
me about palpation and surface anatomy over a number of years all rolled
into 340 pages.
Trail
Guide tells you how to explore the body and know exactly where you
are by locating the landmarks of the anatomy – just as you would when
reading a map.
The
diagrams make it gloriously simple, so you can’t possibly get lost! The
text is clear, concise and non-patronizing.
The
Introduction subtitled ‘Tour guide tips’ has a ‘How to use this book’
section – always useful – which not only explains the icons used throughout
but also includes some beginners hints on palpation – suggesting that
you practise first on your neighbour’s cat. On a more serious note there
is advice about how to feel a muscle by rolling and strumming, how to
use movement and stillness to feel the body working. Anyone will find
the exploring textual differences of structures a real learning experience,
and beginners to body work the explanation of tendons, ligaments and fascia
simple to understand.
Chapter
one entitled ‘Navigating the Body’ is an overview of the body’s main systems.
The skeletal and muscular and ‘fascial systems are covered fairly superficially.
The overview of the cardiovascular, lymphatic and nervous systems are
even more superficial and are just illustrations of the main networks
of vessels and nerves. If I do have a criticism of this book it is the
inclusion of these three systems in such scant detail.
The
body has been divided into six main anatomical areas with a chapter devoted
to each – shoulder and arm; forearm and hand; spine and thorax; head neck
and face; pelvis and thigh; leg and foot.
Each
chapter starts with the overall picture of the area to be studied. There
are illustrations of the surface of the body, instructions of how to explore
the skin and fascia of the area, the bones under the surface and most
importantly the bony landmarks. All the diagrams use the same colour coding
– red for the focus area and directions and pencil drawings and shading
for the rest – very simple but effective and clear.
After
this you find what separates this book from all the others – ‘Bony Landmark
Trails’ (hence the name of the book). The author suggests that ‘trail
markers’ be used as ‘stepping off points to locate muscles and tendons’.
The trail is made up of the bony landmarks which give you a path to follow
through the ‘jungle of flesh and bones’ without which you would be completely
lost. This is a great idea which works beautifully. There are arrows on
the diagrams making navigation of the body’s surface easy.
Once
you know where you are, the muscles are then introduced. Along the trail
you can palpate the muscles with step by step instructions and how to
confirm you are feeling the right structure. The diagrams of these muscles
are accompanied by information of the origin and insertion of each muscle,
its actions and nerve supply.
Not
only do you see the anatomy, but there are drawings with the ‘body’ in
the best position for palpating the structure with the therapists hands
superimposed so you can see exactly what you are supposed to be doing
and where.
For
completeness, at the end of each chapter the other related structures
to that area are illustrated and if practical palpated.
Finally
there is a chapter on Synergists. Here you will find lists of muscles
grouped under individual joint movements, e.g. flexion of the hip has
a list of eleven muscles that can bring about this movement. Students
of anatomy may find this perplexing as it is not stated which muscles
are the prime movers and which are the synergists!
Dotted
throughout the book at the foot of the page are boxes or footnotes containing
some interesting or useful information – historic snippets, origins of
anatomical words, extra tutorial hints or extra anatomical information
– all relevant to the section being studied.
The
bibliography is extensive ranging from 1946 to 1997, but unfortunately
has not been updated for this second edition. A Glossary of terms is included
as well as a section on Pronunciation and Etymology (the meaning of which
is explained in a footnote on page 13!).
I
found the index confusing at first – there are three – one all-inclusive
and a separate one each for bones and muscles which I found to be unnecessary.
Trail
Guide would be particularly useful for students of anatomy, body workers/therapists
– beginners as well as advanced students and the already qualified; sports
massage therapists as well as students of osteopathy – anyone who needs
to locate and isolate a ‘problem area’ before embarking on a treatment.
This
book is an absolute ‘must have’ for the library of schools concerned with
teaching all types of body work. At £40, individuals may find it too much
for their budget. It would however, be an invaluable investment for their
future practice. I highly recommend this book as course reading for all
body orientated courses.
About the
Reviewer
Jackie
Pietroni (BSc. Hons) is a qualified registered general nurse and nurse
lecturer, massage practitioner and aromatherapist, practising in a National
Health General Practitioners’ Surgery in West London, and in private practice.
She is Senior Lecturer in Anatomy and Physiology at the Clare Maxwell-Hudson
School in London where she also co-facilitates the Aromatherapy and Cancer
Care Course. She can be contacted via admin@cmhmassage.co.uk
or directly on jackiepietroni@hotmail.com
Readers wishing to purchase
this book should contact James Earls of Ultimate Massage Solutions on
Tel: 028-9059 0594; E: jearls@eim.dnet.co.uk |
