Joon Park, author of "As Long as You Need" discusses grief and its impact on bodyworkers and their clients with Til Luchau. Park, a hospital chaplain, shares his experiences with grief, trauma, and the importance of acknowledging and integrating pain rather than suppressing it. He emphasizes the role of the body in grief, the concept of "letting in" rather than "letting go," and the significance of rituals and community in processing loss. The conversation also touches on the idea of the "intimate stranger" and the therapeutic power of touch and presence.

Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites! 

• Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor Offers: 

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com. 

About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

(The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies: bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedic, sports massage, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength and conditioning, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice.)

A new study shows that our fingertips lose sensitivity as we age. What are the implications for massage and bodywork practitioners? Tune in and listen as Til and Whitney think it through, and along the way, share fascinating tidbits about tactile sensitivity training, and its relevance to actual practice. 

•Introduction and Sponsor Message (00:00 - 01:30)

•Discussion of Tactile Sensitivity Study (01:30 - 03:30)

•Decline in tactile sensitivity, especially in fingers with age

•Importance of glabrous skin (hairless skin) in mechanoreception

•Mechanoreceptors and Aging (03:30 - 06:00)

•Von Frey monofilament test used to measure sensitivity

•Examples of exercises to improve tactile sensitivity in manual therapy

•Proprioception and Sensory Discrimination (06:00 - 09:00)

•Importance of spatial discrimination in manual therapy

•Stiffness testing for practitioners

•Tactile Acuity and Practice (09:00 - 12:00)

•Training methods for developing tactile sensitivity, including touch games and exercises

•Aging and Mechanoreceptor Deterioration (12:00 - 16:00)

•Impact of aging on nerve function and tissue hydration

•Central processing changes in the brain affecting tactile perception

•Implications for Clients and Practitioners (16:00 - 23:00)

•Loss of sensitivity and its effect on daily activities and manual therapy

•Correlation between pain and reduced tactile sensitivity

•Qualitative vs Quantitative Touch in Therapy (23:00 - 30:00)

•Debate on whether tactile acuity is essential for effective manual therapy

•Importance of qualitative touch and attentiveness in client care

•Social Grooming and Pleasant Touch (30:00 - 38:00)

•The role of pleasant touch in therapy, linked to brain processes

•Sensitivity in non-fingertip areas (forearms, cheeks) and its significance

•Takeaways on Tactile Sensitivity and Aging (38:00 - 45:00)

•Summary of findings on aging and tactile sensitivity

•Importance of listening and touch quality in manual therapy

Get the video and full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites! 

• Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com 

• Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Samain-Aupic, Léonard, Mariama Dione, Edith Ribot-Ciscar, Rochelle Ackerley, and Jean-Marc Aimonetti. “Relations between Tactile Sensitivity of the Finger, Arm, and Cheek Skin over the Lifespan Showing Decline Only on the Finger.” Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 16 (July 2, 2024): 1387136. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2024.1387136.

Sponsor Offers: 

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com. 

About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

(The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies: bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedic, sports massage, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength and conditioning, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice.)

Whitney interviews tendon expert Dr. Jill Cook, who discusses the current understanding of tendinopathy as a degenerative condition, emphasizing the importance of proper loading in rehabilitation. She explains why she advises against traditional treatments like friction massage and stretching, why anti-inflammatory medications are ineffective, and highlights the risks of certain drugs on tendon health. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Cook provides evidence-based insights for all manual therapists on treating tendinopathies effectively.

1. Shift from thinking of tendinopathies as inflammatory conditions to degenerative conditions (03:01 - 04:24)

Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites! 

• Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Jill Cook: [email protected]

Sponsor Offers: 

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com. 

About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

(The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies: bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedic, sports massage, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength and conditioning, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice.)

In this episode, Til and Whitney dive into strategies for addressing low back pain (LBP) with hands-on work, exploring LBP's prevalence, causes, and treatments. Sharing the insights they've gained from experts such as Nikolai Bogduk, Stewart McGill, Paul Hodges, Lorimer Moseley, Helene Langevin and Antonio Stecco, they lay out the diverse views on both the structural and non-mechanical origins of LBP. Listeners will also learn about therapeutic approaches, the significance of practitioner confidence, and the importance of comprehensive evaluations. Tune in for a fascinating look at how practitioners and clients alike can better understand and work with low back pain.

1. Prevalence of low back pain

• Over 60-70% of people have episodes of low back pain at some point [01:51] 

2. Potential evolutionary factors contributing to low back pain

• Transition to bipedalism and upright posture

3. Causes and contributors to low back pain - [07:39]

• Overemphasis on disc and structural issues in the past

4. Influence of practitioner perspective and confidence on outcomes [30:20]

• Importance of the therapeutic relationship and rapport

5. Personal experiences with low back pain

• Overuse vs. underuse/immobility as contributors

Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites! 

• Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• ABMPs’ CE Summit on LBP: live Oct 1, 2024 and free to everyone in the profession: abmp.com/summit
  

Sponsor Offers: 

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com. 

About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

(The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies: bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedic, sports massage, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength and conditioning, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice.)

Til and Whitney speak with fascial researcher, anatomist, and manual therapy teacher Antonio Stecco MD PhD about his research in to fascial properties, pain, and the effects of hands-on work, in this audience-favorite episode from our archives, where it originally ran as Ep. 53.

• Introduction to Dr. Antonio Stecco and his background in fascia research

Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites! 

• Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com 

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Dr Stecco’s research and publications (NYU)

• Gerber et al., “A Systematic Comparison Between Subjects With No Pain and Pain Associated With Active Myofascial Trigger Points.”

Sponsor Offers: 

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com. 

About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

(The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies: bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedic, sports massage, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength and conditioning, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice.)

🎙️ Grief affects everyone: every person, every practitioner, and every client will lose something important to them, whether it’s their youth, ability, dreams, or a loved one. And so, everyone will grieve.

Key Points in the Podcast

• Introduction to the podcast and sponsors (0:00-1:20)

• Til Luchau's personal experience with grief and loss (1:20-5:30)

• The importance of self-care for caretakers (5:30-8:30) 

• Lessons learned from the grief process (8:30-14:55) 

• Balancing work and personal life during grief (14:55-18:00) 

• The importance of acknowledging grief in client interactions (18:00-21:00) 

• Understanding the stages and timeline of grief (21:00-23:30) 

• Strategies for supporting others dealing with loss (23:30-26:30) 

• The impact of grief on cognitive function (26:30-31:51)

• Final insights and reflections on grief (31:51-37:00) 

• Closing remarks and sponsor acknowledgements (37:00-39:00)

Resources

• Episode 66: Beyond "It Depends" Oncology Massage (with Janet Penny, Rebecca Sturgeon, and Loretta Luchau) 

Sponsor Offers: 

• Til Luchau’s “ANKLE Issues” livestream course (live Aug 24-25 '24, or later by recording): advanced-trainings.com/workshop/onl2408m/ 

About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

(The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies: bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedic, sports massage, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength and conditioning, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice.)

In this episode Whitney interviews Laurel Beversdorf and Dr. Sarah Court (co-hosts of the Movement Logic Podcast) to talk about movement, exercise, and rehabilitation. They discuss topics such as the misconceptions surrounding strength training and its impact on flexibility and mobility, strength training for women, posture, movement re-education, and the importance of load management, and much more. Check it out now!

Watch the video and get the full transcript of their conversation on Til or Whitney's sites: 

• Til Luchau’s Advanced-Trainings.com 

Key Points in the Podcast

- Misconceptions about strength training and its impact on flexibility (06:00)

- Overcoming resistance to strength training in the yoga community (08:00)

- The fear of injury associated with lifting heavy weights (10:00)

- The benefits of strength training at home (14:00)

- Starting strength training after developing a physical injury (16:00)

- The importance of proper technique and strength for manual therapists (18:00)

- The scope of practice for manual therapists in recommending exercise (20:00)

- The limitations of personal trainer certifications (22:00)

- Differentiating between scope of practice and scope of expertise (24:00

- The shift towards loading and strengthening in tendon rehabilitation (32:00)

- The impact of posture and load on the body (34:00)

- The importance of considering individual goals and abilities in posture (38:00)

- The role of elite athletes and their unique movement patterns (40:00)

- The social and hierarchical implications of posture (46:00)

- How to connect with Laurel Beversdorf and Sarah Court (48:00)

Resources:

Slouch, Posture Panic in Modern America by Beth Linker

Movement Logic Podcast

Sponsor Offers:

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout at booksofdiscovery.com.

About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

In celebration of Til Luchau's upcoming "Ankle Issues" livestreamed course, Til and Whitney pulled one of their favorite ankle-related episodes (#43) out of the archives. Listen in as they geek out on ankle- and foot-related conditions, anatomy, function, biomechanics and more.

Topics include: 

• How the structure of the foot/ankle complex determines function

Episode Outline:

• Structure of the foot/ankle complex

• Medial side deltoid ligament complex

• How does structure govern function

• Mechanics of the region:

• Talocrural motions: dorsiflexion & plantarflexion

• Some common issues/problems

• Valgus and varus angulations (toes and calcaneal region)

Resources and references discussed in this episode:

• Til Luchau’s “ANKLE Issues” livestream course (live Aug 24-25 '24, or later by recording): advanced-trainings.com/workshop/onl2408m/ 

Podcast anatomy image from Advanced Myofascial Techniques, Volume 1. Used under license from Primal Pictures.

Sponsor Offers: 

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com. 

About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

(The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies: bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedic, sports massage, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength and conditioning, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice.)

🎙️In this episode Whitney talks with Christian Green about working with athletes and performing artists. They cover some of the unique facets of working with these special populations. There is much more than specialized techniques necessary to work in these environments and Christian shares some unique and interesting perspectives. 🔍🗣️👥🔊

Watch the video and get the full transcript of their conversation on Til or Whitney's sites: 

• Til Luchau’s Advanced-Trainings.com 

Key Points in the Podcast

• Introduction to the podcast (0:00)

Resources:

Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA)

[email protected]

Christian's website 

Sponsor Offers:

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout at booksofdiscovery.com.

About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]

🎙️ In this episode Whitney discusses a 2024 paper on modern manual therapy teaching and practice. The paper describes traditional manual therapy principles, including clinician-centered assessment, pathoanatomical reasoning, and technique specificity, and their criticisms based on recent research. He then outlines a proposed new framework for manual therapy practice and education. Lowe encourages listeners to read the paper and reflect on how these concepts align with or differ from their current practices, aiming to stimulate critical thinking about the evolution of manual therapy approaches in light of current research and understanding.

Watch the video and get the full transcript of their conversation on Til or Whitney's sites: 

• Til Luchau’s Advanced-Trainings.com 

Key Points in the Podcast

1. Introduction to the podcast (0:00-0:30)

• Clinician-centered assessment (4:10-6:50)

Proposed new framework for manual therapy (16:00-23:00)

• Safety in the therapeutic alliance (16:30-18:00)

Implications for teaching and practice (23:00-29:00)

• Challenges in reframing teaching methods (23:30-25:30)

Resources:

A Modern Way to Teach and Practice Manual Therapy: https://bit.ly/45tGfHj

Sponsor Offers:

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout at booksofdiscovery.com.

About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected]