Physical Therapy

OVERVIEW

This guide directs the user to selected library resources in physical therapy and rehabilitation. It is not comprehensive. The items listed in the guide may be found in the Main collection (Main, floors 1-4) or the Reference collection (Ref, 1st floor).

For more assistance with research in this area, please contact the life & health sciences librarian, Nina Hagiwara, at ninah@sfsu.edu.

BOOKS

Generally, physical therapy books will be found in the upper end of the RM call number range. Use InvestiGator, the online catalog, to locate books on a specific topic. To find the resources that are most closely related to your topic, the best strategy is to use subject searching. Subject searching requires that you use the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), which are available in the Indexes & Abstracts Area. Some headings to try are:

Electrotherapeutics Human Physiology Medical Rehabilitation Pain -- Treatment Sports Physical Therapy

Exercise Therapy Manipulation (Therapeutics) Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy Ultrasonic Waves -- Therapeutic Use

Other ways of searching InvestiGator include title, author, and words searching. Words searching may be especially useful if you do not know the exact LC subject heading for a concept. In words searching you can look for words or phrases that may appear in a book's title, subject headings, notes and tables of contents. Examples of words searches may be found here .

If the J. Paul Leonard Library does not own a book that you want, or if it is checked out or not available, you have other options for getting the book. First, check the LINK+ system to see if the book can be borrowed from other local academic and public libraries. Books ordered through Link+ may be picked up at the first floor Circulation Desk once they arrive.

If you still cannot find a book, or you do not have time for the book to be delivered via LINK+, you may want to check any of the other regional libraries' catalogs, then visit them in person to retrieve the book.

PERIODICALS

Periodicals (journals, magazines, and newspapers) provide more current information than is available in books. They also are the first, and often the only, source for full publication of scientific, technical, medical, or social research. To find periodical articles on a specific topic, use the print indexes and abstracts and electronic databases.

Current Awareness

Browsing recent issues of professional journals is a way to identify emerging issues in PT and OT research. The following are located in the Current Periodicals (last 2-3 years) or Bound Periodicals areas on the second floor of the library and/or are available online through an SFSU subscription. There are many other titles available as well; these are only examples.

American Journal of Occupational Therapy
American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy
Journal of Rehabilitation
Physical Therapy

Electronic Databases

Most of the electronic databases are available remotely to SFSU students, staff, and faculty. For access, see Accessing Databases from Off-Campus .

CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature)

This is the primary database used to search the allied health periodical literature. Access it through OVID [1982 - Current].

MEDLINE/PubMed

This is the primary database used to search the biomedical sciences periodical literature. Anyone may access the database using PubMed [1953 - Current], which is offered by the National Library of Medicine. In addition, SFSU users may search MEDLINE through FirstSearch [1965 - Current] or Cambridge Scientific Abstracts [1992-Current]. See the database list for links.

Some other important databases for physical therapy include:

Alt-Health Watch [1991 - Current]
EBM (Evidence Based Medicine) Reviews [Varies]
ISI Web of Science [1900 - Current]
Journals@OVID Full Text [1993 - Current] (formerly Core Biomedical Collection)
SPORT Discus [1975 - Current]

Print Indexes and Abstracts

To find citations for articles in older journals, it may be necessary to use the print indexes and abstracts available in the Reference Area on the first floor. Many of these correspond to electronic databases, though the names may be different. For instance, the print index equivalent to the PsycINFO database is known as Psychological Abstracts. Print sources include:

Science Citation Index [1965 - 1990] = Web of Science [1900 - current]

To find out if the library has a particular periodical, enter the periodical title (not the article title) as a title search in InvestiGator. If it is owned by the library, check the catalog record to see if it is available in print or electronic form. Print periodicals are found on the second floor in the Periodicals Collection. Periodicals that are available electronically will often have a link to the database in their catalog record. See the handout Access to Periodical Articles in Electronic Format for more information.

If SFSU does not have the periodical you need, you may request it through IngentaConnect or Document Delivery Services. Articles ordered through IngentaConnect will be delivered to you by e-mail or fax. DDS articles can be picked up at the DDS counter on the first floor. (You will be notified when they arrive--usually 3 days to 3 weeks.)

REFERENCE BOOKS

See also Health Sciences

"Reference" is the term used to describe sources that provide quick facts, definitions, introductory summaries, and statistics on a topic. These are typically found in the Reference Area (Ref) on the first floor, shelved by call number. Some reference works may be located in the Main collection (Main).

The following are examples of physical therapy reference books:

Anderson, D. M. (Ed.). (2002). Mosby's medical, nursing, & allied health dictionary (6th ed.).

St. Louis: Mosby. Ref R 121 .M89

Cammack, S. & Eisenberg, M. G. (Eds.). (1995). Key words in physical rehabilitation: A guide to contemporary usage.

New York: Springer. Ref RM 930 .K47

Kamenetz, D. L. (1983). Dictionary of rehabilitation medicine.

New York: Springer. Ref RM 696.5 .K34

Pauls, J. A. & Reed, K. L. (1996). Quick reference to physical therapy.

Gaithersberg, MD: Aspen. Main RM701 .P38

Paz, J. C. & Panik, M. (1997). Acute care handbook for physical therapists.

Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann. Main RC55 .P375

SELECTED INTERNET RESOURCES

PEDro Tutorial - Reading Clinical Trials in Physiotherapy

"This short tutorial is designed to help readers of clinical trials differentiate those trials which are likely to be valid from those that might not be. It also looks briefly at how therapists might use the findings of properly performed studies to make clinical decisions."

PhysicalTherapist.com

"Physicaltherapist.com exists for the betterment of physical therapists. As a resource, mechanism for exchange, and forum for ideas, Physicaltherapist.com strives to improve the community of physical therapy resulting in enhanced care for our patients."

PT Central

"...the interactive web site that serves as a Physical Therapy "Central," being a one stop source of PT information and services."

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

American Physical Therapy Association
American Academy of Pain Management
American Academy of Physical Therapy
American Society of Biomechanics
California Physical Therapy Association
Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy
International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine, United States

Last updated:
Monday, 21-Apr-2008 14:38:42 PDT