Volumes of the Topical Issues in Pain series are now a common sight in Physiotherapy departments and practices throughout the UK. More and more students are using them to learn clinical skills and as key references for study and research. The accolades the series has received from within and outside the profession are both moving and cheering for Physiotherapy. This 5th volume energetically moves the boundaries of Physiotherapy on, divided into 5 sections, it considers some of the most important issues and challenges facing clinicians and society today. The section on return to work (3) examines the financial and human costs of work absence, the difficulties that surround and often prevent people in pain from returning to work and finally details practical ways of helping patients actually get there. It is becoming increasingly clear that the traditional treatments being offered for common and benign pain states, whether by therapists, Drs or Surgeons, are ineffective when measured in
