The Thinking Practitioner Podcast

Ep 80: What can we as bodyworkers can learn about intimacy, ethics, consent, touch, and boundaries, from people working on the other side of the no-sex “firewall” that (appropriately) separates our profession from erotic and sex work? Betty Martin is a leading author, thinker, and trainer in the field of consent and touch; listen in as she and Til talk it through. 

Ep 79: Does stiff fascia hurt because it’s stiff? Why then is there pain with the softer-tissue patterns of hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes? Dr. Tina Wang’s fascinating research (as well as her own story) helps shed some light on this paradox.

Ep 78: Most everyone agrees that the current system of continuing professional education (CE or CPD) for massage and manual therapy has problems. Should CE requirements simply be abolished? Or is even more regulation needed? Whitney and Til think these things through and come up with individual and system-wide options.

Ep 77: Whitney has a conversation with Sandy Fritz on her vision of the current and future state of the profession.

Ep 76: Til & Whitney share their takeaways, impressions, and highlights from the recent 6th International Fascia Research Congress in Montreal.

Ep 75: Unbeknownst to us, the hosts of the ‘Hands at the Table’ podcast recorded and aired a “secret shopper” episode about one of Til Luchau’s most popular online CE classes.

Ep 74: Whitney and Til dive deep into their differing (and shared) approaches to sacroiliac joint pain, pelvic anatomy, biomechanics, and much more, all in celebration of Whitney’s recent SIJ article and Til’s upcoming live-online hands-on training.

Ep 73: Can massage and bodywork help with long-term Lyme Disease? The answer has implications for working with similar conditions such as long COVID, post-viral syndromes, and more. Til Luchau talks it through with pathology writer Ruth Werner.

Ep 72: Til talks with Cal Cates about “massage therapy’s sex problem:” how the profession’s “touchiness” about the intimacy-sensuality-sexuality continuum, however well-founded, might not be serving either our clients, nor ourselves. 

Ep 71: Fascial researcher Helene Langevin MD talks with Til and Whitney about what we know (and _don’t_ know) about the role of tissue stiffness in pain; the effects of stretching on cell function and on inflammation resolution; contextual effects and placebos; and much more.

Ep 70: Whitney and Til have an in-depth conversation with Jules Mitchell (author of Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined) about topics like tissue change, flexibility, hyper-mobility as they relate to yoga and manual therapy.

Ep 69: Legendary back pain researcher Stuart McGill (author of Back Mechanic and others) talk with Whitney and Til talk with about spinal pain, fascia, biomechanics, and more.

Ep 68: Til and Whitney compare notes about their tests and techniques for recognizing, understanding, and working with sciatica, sciatic pain, and similar conditions.

Ep 67: Til talks with Jan Sultan (one of first Rolfers trained by Ida Rolf to teach her work), about his life and work; about aging well; and about his take-aways from his ongoing COVID recovery process.

Ep 66: Til gets personal as he discusses bodywork with people living with cancer, with Janet Penny and Rebecca Sturgeon, the authors of “Oncology Massage: An Integrative Approach to Cancer Care.” They’re joined by Til’s wife Loretta Carridan Luchau, a bodyworker and therapist who has herself been living with cancer for many years. 

Ep 65: Women account for about 85 percent of Massage Therapists in the US. However, there isn’t always a corresponding representation of women as CE providers, conference headliners, or in other roles of visible leadership. Whitney and Til explore this phenomenon in discussions with three women leaders.

Ep 64: It’s no exaggeration to say that in its ten years of existence, Handspring Publishing has had a profound impact on the bodywork and movement therapy fields. Til and Whitney talk with two of Handspring’s founders about some very big recent news.

Ep 63: What makes changing our views such a challenge? Whitney and Til compare notes about how their perspectives have taken a 180° from how they used to think, and, about how that’s played out.

Ep 62: Whitney talks with Anne Williams and Eric Brown about innovations in education.

Ep 61: Whitney talks with Niki Munk about massage therapy research.

Ep 60: Whitney talks with massage therapist and physical therapy assistant Matt Gavzy about working with other professionals in a team practice, and about integrating massage therapy with physical therapy approaches.

Ep 59: Whitney and Til compare notes about some of the major influences on their own careers.

Ep 58: Til Luchau asks pioneering movement and bodywork teacher Judith Aston “Do you think being a woman ever held you back?”
Then, they talk about what she thought of that question. 

Ep 57: Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau catch up with Aubrey Gowing about the practice of massage and bodywork in Ireland. Aubrey is Senior Instructor at the Holistic College Dublin and past President of the Irish Massage Therapists Association.

56. Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe talk through their hands-on approaches to rib pain, ribcage restrictions, and related breathing issues. Includes a technique handout.

55: Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe get personal with Diane Matkowski (The Massage Mentor) about what “success” means to each of them.

54: Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau review highlights and key take-aways from their busy second season of interviews, conversations, and inquiries into the thinking behind effective hands-on work. 

53: 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.

52: Til interviews Whitney about his use of Orthopedic Special Tests.

51: Til & Whitney talk with Todd Hargrove of the Better Movement blog and podcast about neuroinflammation and its role in pain and health.

50: Whitney interviews Jamie Johnston and Eric Purves about how massage education differs in the U.S. and Canada; and more.

49: Whitney interviews Til about his upcoming “Three Questions About Interoception” article in Massage & Bodywork magazine.

47: Til and Whitney geek-out on conditions, anatomy, function, and biomechanics of the ankle and foot.

48: In this “Greatest Hits” rebroadcast of episode 25, Whitney and Til discuss the controversies, disagreements, considerations, and their own views on the infamous psoas muscle in manual therapy and massage. Download the handout with detailed episode notes, techniques and tests, and a special chapter from Til’s book from http://a-t.tv/ttp-psoas/ 

46: Whitney and Til unfold the controversies, compare thoughts, and share approaches for working with the iliotibial band. 

45: Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe talk with researcher and Robert Schleip about fascia, movement, and research updates in the newly released second edition of Fascia in Sport and Movement, co-edited by Jan Wilke.

44: Whitney talks to Doug Nelson about the challenges and learning experiences of a great massage career spanning over four decades. 

43: Til Luchau talks about trauma, psychedelic psychotherapy, and the body, with Marcela Ot’alora G., the principal investigator in a very promising FDA-approved study into MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD.

42: Til and Whitney talk to Cathy Ryan RMT about her book ‘Traumatic Scar Tissue Management: Massage Therapy Principles, Practice and Protocols,’ co-authored with Nancy Keenan Smith.

41: Going For It: The Massage Mentor (with Diane Matkowski). Whitney and Til talk to Diane Matkowski (a.k.a. the Massage Mentor) to find out what gave her the chutzpah to ask 10 of her favorite massage and bodywork teachers to teach in her first online event, and then, what it was like when 600 people showed up.

40. How to (Not) Fix It (with Cal Cates): Til and Whitney talk to Healwell’s Cal Cates about how their work with death and dying brought perspective and presence to their work as a massage therapist; and to living itself.

39: How often do we think about the assumptions that inform our decisions? Til Luchau talks to writer Ruth Werner about her recent work on critical thinking skills, steps, and stages.

38: Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau give a crash course on frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis, discussing recent research findings and comparing their respective views and strategies. Download the free handout with detailed episode notes, techniques and tests, and join them at the upcoming Shoulder Jam event via Whitney or Til’s sign-up link.

37: Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe share their ideas, strategies, techniques, and tests for better results with the most common type of shoulder condition, subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS) and its myriad presentations, including rotator cuff pain, etc. Download the handout with detailed episode notes, techniques and tests from http://a-t.tv/ttp-saps/

36: Whitney Lowe talks with Robin Anderson about her new role as president of the Massage Therapy Foundation and how research plays an important role in our field. They also dive deep into some issues around curriculum design and the crucial importance of developing solid educational programs to ensure the future success of our field.  

35: Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe share their top resources for information and inspiration, both professionally and personally, letting us in on everything from their favorite podcasts, playlists, books, and apps, to how they recharge and find meaning in their work and in their lives.

34: Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau share trivia, tips, tests, and techniques for working with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), including some cool self-care methods for you and your clients. Find out why TOS is “one of the most controversial topics in musculoskeletal medicine,” and how Til and Whitney actually work with TOS symptoms in practice.

33: Dealing With Adversity (with Drew Freedman) Clinician and educator Drew Freedman talks about navigating many challenges of managing a busy clinic in the heart of Boston. The clinic was severely impacted by the Boston Marathon bombing and then again this past year during the Covid challenge. We discuss how to face adversity and how to continue looking forward and not let these challenges drag you down.

32: Bodywork pioneer Art Riggs was one of the first Certified Rolfers to publish a book about “advanced” techniques. His textbook (Deep Tissue Massage) was adopted by massage therapy programs worldwide, and as a result, his teaching and style has influenced tens of thousands massage and manual therapists in the decades since. Art talks with Til Luchau about his work, aging, self-care, and more.

31: What are cervicogenic headaches? Are they even a thing, and if so, why are they particularly amenable to manual therapy and massage? Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe discuss these questions, and share some self-care tips for you and your clients. Download the handout with detailed episode notes, techniques and tests from http://a-t.tv/ttp-cgh/

Episode topics include:
– What kinds of headaches CAN manual therapy help with?
– What’s the controversy around cervicogenic headaches?
– What kinds of self-care help?