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In this episode Til Luchau interviews Bronnie Lennox Thompson, a pain management expert from the University of Otago in New Zealand. Bronnie shares insights on supporting people with chronic pain to live well, emphasizing pain’s complexity as a personal, multi-dimensional experience. They discuss the value of hands-on therapy, discussing both physical benefits and its comforting, human connection.
The conversation highlights mindfulness as a tool for managing chronic pain, extending beyond meditation to include simple, everyday practices. Bronnie and Til explain how mindfulness helps people observe pain without reacting, fostering a healthier relationship with their bodies. Bronnie also shares her personal approach to mindfulness through activities like walking and savoring positive moments. This episode offers practical advice for both therapists and anyone seeking a mindful, compassionate approach to managing pain.
Key Topics:
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Sponsor Offers:
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.)
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!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Sponsor Offers:
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!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Sponsor Offers:
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.
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Sponsor Offers:
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
2. Potential evolutionary factors contributing to low back pain
3. Causes and contributors to low back pain - [07:39]
4. Influence of practitioner perspective and confidence on outcomes [30:20]
5. Personal experiences with low back pain
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Sponsor Offers:
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.
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!
Resources discussed in this episode:
Sponsor Offers:
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
Resources
Sponsor Offers:
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:
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:
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:
Episode Outline:
Resources and references discussed in this episode:
Podcast anatomy image from Advanced Myofascial Techniques, Volume 1. Used under license from Primal Pictures.
Sponsor Offers:
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:
Key Points in the Podcast
Resources:
Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA)
Christian's website
Sponsor Offers:
About Whitney Lowe | About Til Luchau | Email Us: [email protected]
From the publisher's feed
For the practitioner who’s never stopped being curious. Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe bring together leading researchers, master clinicians, and big questions from across bodywork, massage, and manual therapy — exploring not just what we do with our hands, but why it works and how to do it better. Smart, grounded, and genuinely useful conversations for the somatic arts and sciences.
For professional practitioners in bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedics, sports massage, physical therapy, and osteopathy — as well as yoga, strength and conditioning, and allied professions.
This podcast is not medical or treatment advice.
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