An In-Depth Look at Goodman and Fuller’s Pathology, 5th Edition

An In-Depth Look at Goodman and Fuller’s Pathology, 5th Edition

Goodman and Fuller’s Pathology, 5th Edition is a practical resource that offers easy-to-understand information about various diseases and conditions, especially in relation to physical therapy. The new edition covers the latest updates, including guidelines, precautions, and contraindications for treating patients with musculoskeletal or neuromuscular issues, as well as other medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease.

In this Q&A session, Rolando Lazaro, PT, PhD, DPT, Catherine C. Goodman, MBA, PT, CBP, and Kenda S. Fuller, PT, NCS, provide insights into the field of physical therapy and important topics covered in their book.

What’s the main message you want educators and students to get from your book?

Having a good grasp of pathology is crucial for physical therapists when making decisions. Pathology knowledge forms the foundation for understanding health conditions and guides the decision-making process. It’s used for planning assessments, evaluations, and predictions about activities and participation. This knowledge, along with understanding other accompanying conditions and individual and environmental factors, helps physical therapists predict how patients will respond to treatments. This understanding is vital for future physical therapists in their classroom training.

How has physical therapy changed over the years?

Physical therapists have gained more autonomy and professional responsibility over time, including the ability to directly assess patients. This expansion of the scope of practice means that physical therapists need to be skilled at screening and prioritizing patients, especially in identifying potential issues related to medical conditions. Physical therapists now undergo extensive training to recognize signs and symptoms of conditions that might require medical attention.

Today, topics like meditation, spirituality, mindfulness, and the connection between the mind and body have become mainstream in medicine. Over the past two decades, evidence has grown showing that practices like meditation and mindfulness can reduce stress, anxiety, and enhance well-being and happiness. Studies also reveal that meditation has direct physiological effects, including affecting the structure of the brain. This focus, combined with an understanding of how pathology impacts movement and participation, can improve the way physical therapists care for their patients.

The Value of Virtual Patient Scenarios

The interpretation of pathology knowledge is always evolving. With each new edition, content is added that explores fundamental concepts related to areas like the microbiome, epigenetics, as well as spirituality, meditation, and the mind-body connection. These topics are directly related to pathology and their implications on movement, activity, and participation.

Why did you decide to include information on epigenetics in relation to physical therapy?

Epigenetics encourages us to consider how our environment affects our health. We can change our behaviors and reduce the impact of stress, which might affect our genetic makeup. By altering subconscious routines and patterns in our thoughts, emotions, and actions, we can change the way our minds work and influence behaviors that predict and determine our health outcomes.

This means that our genes don’t define us, and we’re not locked into certain conditions for life. We included information on epigenetics to help physical therapists understand their health and the health of their patients within the context of these influences. We explore how factors like nutrition, mood, exercise, stress, resilience, and coping can impact our genes.

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How does regenerative medicine relate to physical rehabilitation?

Regenerative rehabilitation combines rehabilitation principles with regenerative medicine to optimize functional recovery through tissue regeneration, remodeling, or repair. This approach relies on three main factors:

– Resident stem cells need cues from the environment to regenerate tissues. These cues include factors like blood supply, growth factors, and neural signals that guide stem cell behavior.

– Stem cells can sense physical aspects of their surroundings. They convert physical stimuli into chemical responses, affecting how they behave and differentiate.

– Stem cells often aim to become specific tissues. Physical therapy can help newly formed tissue function properly. Further research is needed to understand how physical therapy can promote tissue growth and enhance outcomes.

Physical therapists play a significant role in regenerative medicine, just as they do in post-surgery rehabilitation for orthopedic procedures.

Why did you find it important to include information on genomics as it relates to physical therapy?

We are in the era of genomic medicine, where precision medicine tailors prevention and intervention strategies to individuals based on their genetic, cellular, and environmental information. “Exercise genomics” suggests creating personalized rehabilitation plans based on a person’s DNA variations.

This genomic era focuses on the individual’s unique genetic makeup, development, and experiences that influence health. While whole-genome sequencing isn’t commonly used yet, it’s becoming more prevalent in clinical settings. Clinicians need to be prepared to address patients’ questions and concerns about genomics.