AAOS to release retail guide to bone and joint health at 2003 Annual Meeting
By Carolyn Rogers
The Academy’s first-ever publication directed at the retail consumer will debut at the February 5-9, 2003 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
For every condition listed, readers are provided with a wide range of helpful, concise information, suc
AAOS to release retail guide to bone and joint health at 2003 Annual Meeting By Carolyn Rogers The Academy’s first-ever publication directed at the retail consumer will debut at the February 5-9, 2003 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. |
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The 2003 Body Almanac—Your Personal Guide to Bone and Joint Health at Any Age, is a new musculoskeletal self-help book that "demystifies" bone and joint health for the general public. Employing an easy-to-follow question and answer format, the guide clearly defines dozens of common musculoskeletal conditions such as signs/symptoms, treatments, pain expectations, when it’s time to call a doctor, follow-up care, illustrated exercises, buying guides, anatomical diagrams, checklists, safety and prevention tips and much more.
AAOS "seal of approval"
The softcover guide is economically priced at $19.95, and because the 2003 Body Almanac is an official Academy publication, consumers can feel confident the content has been well researched and is unbiased, says co-editor Ramon L. Jimenez, MD.
"Our goal was to produce a book that every household in America could keep on a shelf for quick reference when any musculoskeletal concerns arise," Dr. Jimenez says. "There’s nothing else like it out there in the bookstores right now—so we’re really providing a public service. I also think it’s a unique opportunity to demonstrate that we, as orthopaedists, are genuinely interested in the overall musculoskeletal health of our patients—not just in performing surgery."
Dr. Jimenez worked on the book with three other physician editors—Letha Y. Griffin, MD, Glenn B. Pfeffer, MD and John F. Sarwark, MD. The orthopaedists spent over four years developing the concept and content for the book, which was written with the editorial assistance of a science writer.
"Top 100" conditions
The Body Almanac is modeled in part after the Academy’s successful Essentials of Muscloskeletal Care publication, says Lynne Shindoll, managing editor in the AAOS publications department.
"We took the best of Essentials and translated it into this guide," Shindoll explains.
Like Essentials, the Body Almanac features the "Top 100" musculoskeletal conditions seen at the doctor’s office, and is divided into the following eight anatomical areas:
The book’s "reader-friendly" layout is also similar to the popular "Dummies" guides, Shindoll adds.
Multi-generational
Although aging baby boomers are the book’s "target" audience, the guide contains information on conditions affecting every age group. Topics range from backpack safety tips for kids and treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome to tips on picking canes and walkers after hip replacement surgery.
"We see the baby boomer ‘sandwich’ generation as our key audience because they’re the primary caregivers right now," Shindoll explains. "Not only are they experiencing new aches and pains of their own, many of them are caring for children as well as elderly parents or other relatives. This guide empowers them to become more involved in their entire family’s bone and joint health."
Book tour kicks off in New Orleans
A three-month promotional campaign for the book will begin in New Orleans during the 2003 Annual Meeting. In-store events will be held in local bookstores, and the four physician-editors will each take part in a "mini" book tour immediately following Annual Meeting as well
The four editors will participate in in-store events in their home cities as well as in another city in their geographical area. In addition to a book signing, each editor will choose one condition, such as arthritis, and present a lecture/symposium on the topic at the bookstore. The 2003 Body Almanac also will be "pitched" to local and national morning TV programs.
Be sure to stop by the Resource Center at the 2003 Annual Meeting to pick up a Body Almanac or two of your own!