We can't believe it has been 10 years this week since the Rio Olympic games and cupping therapy's big moment in sports with us! Today’s episode welcomes back one of the most accomplished swimmers in Olympic history, Nathan Adrian (@nathangadrian), alongside friend of the podcast Dr. Daniel Keller, PT, DPT (@thebowtiept), who returns to help lead this conversation with host Dr. Chris DaPrato.

Nathan Adrian is a five-time Olympian, eight-time Olympic medalist, and five-time Olympic gold medalist for Team USA. Throughout his remarkable career, he also captured multiple World Championship titles while becoming one of the most dominant sprint freestylers of his generation. Beyond his achievements in the pool, Nathan has inspired countless athletes through his successful return to elite competition following treatment for testicular cancer and continues to advocate for health, wellness, and cancer awareness.

In this episode, we dive into the evolution of Myofascial Decompression (MFD), a modern rehabilitation approach that builds upon the ancient practice of cupping by combining negative-pressure therapy with movement and exercise. Although cupping has been practiced for thousands of years, MFD gained widespread recognition in sports medicine after clinicians using the technique worked with the U.S. Women's National Gymnastics Team in 2015. The following year, it captured worldwide attention during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games when members of Team USA Swimming—including Nathan Adrian and Michael Phelps—were seen competing with the now-iconic circular treatment marks.

Together, we discuss the role of MFD in elite athletics, the balance between clinical experience and scientific evidence, injury prevention and recovery, longevity in sport, and how the philosophy surrounding athlete health has evolved over the past decade. Whether you're a clinician, student, coach, or simply curious about the science behind recovery, this episode offers an inside look at how one of the world's greatest athletes and experienced sports physical therapists think about performance, rehabilitation, and staying healthy for the long term.

Today’s episode features Dr. Keith Baar, a world expert in collagen and researcher at University of California Davis.  Professor Baar is a rare combination of strength coach and muscle biologist, receiving his PhD from the University of Illinois where he discovered the molecular signal that causes load-induced muscle hypertrophy.  Keith is currently the head of the Functional Molecular Biology Laboratory (FMBLab).

Over the last 20 years, Keith has worked with elite athletes, and has been the scientific advisor to Chelsea Football Club, USA Track and Field, Paris Saint-Germain, British Cycling, and the Denver Broncos.  He also spent time as a strength coach with the University of Michigan football team.  Keith’s current work is focused on how loading protocols and nutrition alter tendon/ligament/extracellular matrix health and performance.

Collagen remodeling is one of the most important emerging topics in manual therapy and athletic performance.  To that end, Dr. Keith Baar is a leading researcher on the science of tissue mechanics and physical training.  Whether you are looking at rehabbing injured tendons, determining the best course of training for avoiding muscle strains, or getting better elastic performance in healthy athletes, this is an incredible and information dense podcast.

Welcome back to another episode of What The Cup!? In this episode, we’re joined by Leah Levitan, licensed massage therapist, certified lymphatic drainage specialist, and founder of Lymph Love Club. With a rich background in myofascial science, scar tissue mobility, trauma-informed somatic therapy, and the Vodder Method of Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Leah has built a unique and empowering approach to lymphatic care. After years of working hands-on with clients, she launched Lymph Love Club to make lymphatic health education more accessible, offering online courses, live classes, and a supportive community space. Leah is a passionate advocate for women’s health, drawing from her own experiences to educate others on the power of lymphatic self-care. Her mission is to help people reconnect with their bodies, understand the critical role of the lymphatic system, and take healing into their own hands.

Connect with Leah here: 

@ lymphloveclub

Lymphloveclub.com

Welcome back to another episode of What The Cup!? Today we are joined by Dr. David Newton, a chiropractor and the founder of Clinical Concepts, a platform that’s transforming healthcare education and mentorship. With his deep background in chiropractic care, Dr. Newton discusses how his unique perspective in the medical field led him to create a resource dedicated to evidence-based learning for chiropractors looking to update their practice patterns based on the newest research. We dive into his journey, the challenges of continuing education in the chiropractic and manual therapy space, and how his platform is making a difference in clinical knowledge and patient outcomes. 

Connect with Dr. Newton here: 

@ dr.david.newton

@ clinical_concepts

[email protected] 

Welcome back to another episode of What The Cup?! Today we are joined by two awesome minds, Dr. Diego Hidalgo, also known as SkepticalPhysio, and Dr. Leada Malek. 
They are leading the progressive professional movements from a research based foundation in their respective niches, and can be found at @skepticalphysio and @drmalekpt.
In the episode, the team dives into why you should question EVERYTHING. So much food for thought here. You don’t want to miss this one! 

Welcome back to another episode of What The Cup!? In this episode we are joined by best-selling author, teacher, and fitness pioneer Jill Miller.  Jill has studied movement for more than 30 years and has been instrumental in foraging the links between fitness, yoga, and pain management.  

Within the episode, Chris and Jill dive in to some of the "buzz words" floating around the movement and manual therapy sphere and the narrative that surrounds them. They speak on some of the most current evidence and debunk it as fact or fiction. Lastly, they take a deep dive into the diaphragm and how important it is for movement, recovery, and physical and emotional well-being. 

Welcome back! We are excited to debate new evidence based discussions this year for our great audience.  This episode dives into the current literature on running mechanics and the nuances of treating the running athlete.  We cover some of the many in depth tools and applications that are covered in our new online course "Clinical Running Health; Applied Biomechanics."  The new 6.5 hour CEU course can be found at IntegratedMovementHealth.com

In episode 30, Chris sits down with two inspirational clinicians who have taken the road less traveled.  Pioneering, innovating, and mentoring are three big descriptors for these humans which you are going to hear some details on in this amazing conversation.  If the word burnout has at all entered your mind regarding your path, then this episode is going to fill your brain with some new exciting ideas and opportunities for growth. 

Shante Cofield, better known as the Movement Maestro,  runs a social media based company that provides both online and in-person education for movement professionals, now providing  one-one-one and group online business coaching for health and wellness professionals. IG: @themovementmaestro

And Dr. Kim Topp is a researcher, former faculty member and Department Chair at UCSF, and now professor emeritus. She has dedicated her career to improving physical therapy curricula, mentoring rising clinicians, and serving in leadership roles in the anatomy community. 

Join us as we explore career options and tangents outside of a traditional clinical setting! 

This month, Chris sits down with Mike Stella, an athletic trainer who is trying to change the way we think about acute injuries and the optimal healing process. We've always advised people to ice after a strain or sprain, but do we ever think about why? What's the mechanism? Does it really change long term outcomes?  Does it actually improve the local swelling? Maybe we should think about MEAT instead of RICE for injury management.  Deep dive into all the options for injury recovery other than NSAIDs, ice, and rest with this evidence based info packed episode.  

Find out more about Mike and the End of the Ice Age at mikestellamovement.com, and @mikestella_atc on social media.

Welcome back! We're here this week with Alexis Leveille. He's a physical therapist and content creator, known for his handle @nobullshitphysio. His page debunks a lot of the literature floating in the rehabilitation world, helping people understand what's science and what's just...not.  Lets hear the debate with DaPrato and Alexis.

Find Alexis @nobullshitphysio on all platforms.