The Top 7 Books for Clinicians

people reading books

Key Takeaways

  • There are a lot of book being published for clinicians, therapists, and trainers
  • It isn’t always easy to decide what books you should spend your time reading
  • This list includes our top book choices for PTs, OTs, ATs, MTs, and DCs

Are you suffering from content overload? With all of the books being published, it can be hard to decide what to spend your time on. We want to help! These are our top seven picks of books for physical therapists, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, massage therapists, and chiropractors.

With topics ranging from sports rehabilitation to musculoskeletal information and featuring everything from resistance band exercises to advice for athletic trainers, you’re sure to find your next book to read. Check out our top choices!

Our Top Books

(all available on Amazon)

someone readinbg a book

1. Bridging the Gap from Rehab to Performance

bridging the gap from rehab to performance

Summary: Guiding an injured athlete through rehabilitation and return-to-play is best achieved through a holistic approach. The author, Sue Falsone, describes the path athletes move through as they heal and return to advanced performance while teaching you about pain science, motor control, and how to create a successful timeline for your athlete.

This book recognises that athletic trainers, medical doctors, physical and occupational therapists, strength and conditioning coaches, and other medical professionals all play an important role in getting athletes back into the game. Learn how your role fits into this process and how you can work together with other professionals to ensure the best outcome for your patient!

About the Author: Sue Falsone is a physical therapist (PT, MS), Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy (SCS), a certified athletic trainer (ATC), certified orthopedic manual therapist for the spine (COMT), and a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS).

Falsone worked at Athletes' Performance for 13 years. She also worked with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 6 years, last serving as head athletic trainer and physical therapist. She also served as Head of Athletic Training and Sport Performance with US Soccer’s Men’s National Team.

Currently, she is the owner and founder of Structure & Function Education. This company educates healthcare professionals about dry needling and how to clinically Bridge the Gap from Rehab to Performance. Falsone also offers consulting for organizations in the NBA, MLB, and NFL and continues to work one-on-one with athletes.

2. Run, Don't Walk: The Curious and Courageous Life Inside Walter Reed Army Medical Center

run, dont walk

Summary: Adele Levine is a physical therapist who worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six years. This book takes you inside her world as she and her colleagues treated and rehabilitated injured soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq. Advances in body armor and trauma care led to Walter Reed quickly becoming the world leader in amputee rehabilitation. This entertaining and inspiring book lets you learn more about the patients and people who worked there.

About the Author: Adele Levine is a practicing physical therapist (DPT), a Orthopedic Certified Specialist, and a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS).

She worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 2005 until its closure in 2011. Levine was then transferred to the National Naval Medical Center in 2011 (renamed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center).

3. Strength Band Training

Strength Band Training

Summary: Written by two physical therapists, this book includes over 160 strength band exercises and pre-designed workouts for fitness and sport-specific training. Full color photos show the exercises that use resistance bands and tubing.

This updated third edition includes a strength assessment index to measure progress, training tips that connect research to specific exercises, information addressing training for older adults, and injury prevention guidelines. Learn why strength bands are the ultimate tool for rehabilitating and strengthening your patient’s muscles.

About the Authors: Phil Page is a physical therapist, certified athletic trainer, and certified strength & conditioning specialist (PhD, PT, ATC, CSCS, FACSM, LAT). He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and an instructor in Athletic Training at LSU and a Clinical Instructor of Orthopedics for Tulane Medical School. He is on the scientific review committees for the APTA and ACSM. Dr. Page provides lectures and workshops on a variety of topics around the world and has over 50 publications. He was awarded the Lifetime Excellence in Education Award by the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the APTA. He also has worked with the athletic programs at LSU, Tulane, the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, as well as the United States Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Todd Ellenbecker is a physical therapist, certified clinical specialist, orthopedic clinical specialist, and certified strength and conditioning specialist (DPT, MS, SCS, OCS, CSCS). He works as a PT at Rehab Plus Sports Therapy Scottsdale and serves as the Vice President of Medical Services for the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour. He is also working as a sports medicine advisor with the ASU Sun Devil men’s tennis team. Ellenbecker is also a certified USPTA tennis teaching professional and Chairman of the USTA National Sport Science Committee. He is a manuscript reviewer for the American Journal of Sports medicine, has written/edited 15 books, and has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.

4. Trail Guide to the Body: How to Locate Muscles, Bones and More

Trail Guide to the Body: How to Locate Muscles, Bones and More

Summary: This book makes it easy to learn the body’s musculoskeletal system. It serves as a map of the human body, an essential resource for anyone who assesses and treats muscles including physical therapists, athletic trainers, massage therapists, and more. With 504 pages and 1,400 illustrations covering more than 162 muscles, 206 bones, 33 ligaments and 110 bony landmarks it’s the perfect book for anyone in the bodywork modalities.

Trail Guide to the Body is a highly recommended textbook for the state licensing test administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) and board certification test administered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). In addition, the Board of Certification program for athletic trainers in the U.S. uses the high-quality Trail Guide to the Body illustrations in their various products, including exams.

About the Author: Andrew Biel is a licensed massage practitioner. He has served on the faculty of the Boulder College of Massage Therapy and Seattle Massage School and has taught Cadaver Studies for Bodyworkers at Bastyr Naturopathic University. Biel received the Massage Therapy Foundation's Humanitarian Award in 2011.

5. The Concussion Repair Manual: A Practical Guide to Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries

The Concussion Repair Manual: A Practical Guide to Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries

Summary: Concussions are a major problem affecting athletes. If you want to learn the history of the forensic pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, who first identified chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in professional football players, check out the book, Concussion. But if you’re interested in treating players with concussions, The Concussion Repair Manual is the book you need.

The Concussion Repair Manual is filled with the leading research on medical technologies for healing the injured brain. It also offers a step-by-step method for making and tracking a personal recovery regimen, great for use with your patients. Learn more about treating sports-related head injuries in this book!

About the Author: Dr. Dan Engle, M.D. is the medical director for The Revive Treatment Centers of America, a neurological rehabilitation center that treats traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, PTSD, and other neurodegenerative disorders. He also serves as a medical advisor to Onnit Labs, The True Rest Float Centers, and several other international treatment centers.

6. Tape, I-C-E, and Sound Advice: Life Lessons from a Hall of Fame Athletic Trainer

Tape, I-C-E, and Sound Advice: Life Lessons from a Hall of Fame Athletic Trainer

Summary: Written by a Hall of Fame Athletic Trainer, Rod Walters, this book chronicles his experiences in the locker room and on the sidelines at the University of South Carolina. Learn how he dealt with patient care, concussions, and the financial provisions of Division I athletes in this book.

About the Author: Dr. Rod Walters, PhD, AT, has served as a head athletic trainer at Lenoir-Rhyne College, Appalachian State, and the University of South Carolina (where he eventually became the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine). He served on the Board of Directors for NATA from 1997 to 2003 and received NATA's Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer award in 2003. In 2005, he was inducted into the NATA's Hall of Fame. 

Dr. Walters is also a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. He currently offers athletic training seminars across the country. He also provides concussion management services to professional baseball umpires, and began working with the National Football League as a concussion spotter with the Atlanta Falcons.

7. Doctor Dogs: How Our Best Friends Are Becoming Our Best Medicine

Doctor Dogs: How Our Best Friends Are Becoming Our Best Medicine

Summary: Our bonus pick is as heart-warming and entertaining as it is enlightening. Doctor Dogs brings you behind the scenes of cutting-edge science and into the lives of people who depend on medical dogs. You’ll learn about diabetic alert dogs, seizure alert dogs, dogs learning to detect cancer, dog specialists who detect migraines, and crisis response dogs. You’ll discover how remarkable dogs are helping people with conditions including Parkinson’s disease, autism, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and developmental disabilities. Discover how canines are protecting us from antibiotic-resistant bugs and so much more.

About the Author: Maria Goodavage is a former USA Today journalist. She is considered one of the foremost author experts on working dogs following the publication of the New York Times bestselling books, Soldier Dogs, Top Dog, and Secret Service Dogs.

These books can help you grow as a student, learn new techniques to incorporate into your existing practice, and more. We hope our top seven picks will educate and entertain you.

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