The Swiss Ball

This is the first textbook which focuses on the Swiss ball and its wide range of clinical applications. The author demonstrates why the Swiss ball is useful for the treatment of patients in all areas of physical therapy, including gynecology and explains how to apply it in the outpatient clinic and the acute care setting, including intensive care units. The Swiss ball can be used to screen for deficits in strength, mobility, balance and coordination, and for manual therapy. Trained therapists are shown ways of using the ball to manage the weight of the patient's body, to assist the patient with active exercises, to evaluate and train balance, and to stimulate the sensorimotor system. Numerous photos of patients being treated help the reader visualize how Swiss ball exercises work in practice.