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The Thinking Practitioner Podcast

w/ Til LuchauWhitney Lowe
 
Join two of the leading educators in manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy, as they delve into the most intriguing issues, questions, research, and client conditions that hands-on practitioners face. Stimulate your thinking with imaginative conversations, tips, and interviews related to the somatic arts and sciences.
Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 132: Bodywork and Grief (with Ronna Moore)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 132: Bodywork and Grief (with Ronna Moore)

Ep 132: 🎙️ In this episode, we delve into the intersection of massage therapy, grief, caretaking, and end-of-life. We touch on global palliative care practices, the role of touch in support for those experiencing grief, navigating sensitive conversations, and creating safe spaces for clients. 🔍🗣️👥🔊

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 131 Mindfulness, Hands-On Therapy, and Pain (with Bronnie Lennox Thompson)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 131 Mindfulness, Hands-On Therapy, and Pain (with Bronnie Lennox Thompson)

Ep 131: 🎙️ In this episode of The Thinking Practitioner, host 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. 🔍🗣️👥🔊

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 130 The Body of Grief (with JS Park)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 130 The Body of Grief (with JS Park)

Ep 130: 🎙️ 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. 🔍🗣️👥🔊

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 125: Moving with Grief (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 125: Moving with Grief (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Ep 125: 🎙️ 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.

In this episode, Whitney interviews Til about a very personal topic: how the recent loss of his wife has given him a new perspective on grieving, and being with others in grief: what helps, what’s important to know, and how to move with grief, as we feel what needs to be felt, and do the things that need to be done. 🔍🗣️👥🔊

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 122: Performing Arts Massage (with Christian Green)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 122: Performing Arts Massage (with Christian Green)

Ep 122: 🎙️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. 🔍🗣️👥🔊

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 121: Analyzing Manual Therapy (with Whitney Lowe)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 121: Analyzing Manual Therapy (with Whitney Lowe)

Ep 121: 🎙️ 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. 🔍🗣️👥🔊

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 119: The Ankle’s Most Sensitive Fascia (with Rachelle Clauson & Nicole Trombley)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 119: The Ankle’s Most Sensitive Fascia (with Rachelle Clauson & Nicole Trombley)

Ep 119: 🎙️In this episode, educators, authors, and massage therapists Rachelle Clauson and Nicole Trombley discuss the surprising sensitivity and functional significance of the ankle’s fascial retinaculum. Their conversation with Whitney and Til also ventures into Rachelle’s work on the Fascial Plastination Project, and their hands-on anatomy educational offerings via AnatomySCAPES. 🔍🗣️👥🔊

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 102: Lessons Learned (with Susan Salvo)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 102: Lessons Learned (with Susan Salvo)

Ep 102: Susan Salvo has been a key contributor to the advancement of the massage therapy profession in the U.S. and abroad. She has been a school owner, practitioner, author, researcher, educator, and legal expert witness. In this episode, we talk about many of these different paths she has traversed and some of the important lessons learned.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 80: What We Might Learn From Sex (with Betty Martin)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 80: What We Might Learn From Sex (with Betty Martin)

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. 

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 48: Psoas Work: Is it Safe? Is it Necessary? (Rebroadcast)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 48: Psoas Work: Is it Safe? Is it Necessary? (Rebroadcast)

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/ 

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 36: Research and Education with Robin Anderson

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 36: Research and Education with Robin Anderson

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.  

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 35: Resources that Inspire Our Learning

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 35: Resources that Inspire Our Learning

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.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 34: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: What You Didn’t Know

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 34: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: What You Didn’t Know

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.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 33: Drew Freedman: Dealing With Adversity

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 33: Drew Freedman: Dealing With Adversity

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.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 32: Art Riggs: Aging Well

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 32: Art Riggs: Aging Well

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.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 31: Cervicogenic Headaches: As If We Need Another Type

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 31: Cervicogenic Headaches: As If We Need Another Type

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?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 30: Excuses, Excuses: Our Favorite Reasons Not To ________

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 30: Excuses, Excuses: Our Favorite Reasons Not To ________

30: What makes taking care of ourselves so hard? Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe dissect the difficulties, and share their favorite excuses for not putting their own care first.

Episode topics include:
– The five key self-care behaviors;
– The date we’re most likely to give up on our resolutions;
– Getting “internal bipartisanship” around your own self-care initiatives.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 28: Advanced Credentialing and Massage as Healthcare

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 28: Advanced Credentialing and Massage as Healthcare

28: Whitney Lowe talks with Cal Cates, executive director of Healwell. They tackle the challenging issues of how to recognize advanced training and the challenges of integrating massage into the healthcare system.

Episode topics include:
– Why is advanced credentialing important for us?
– What are some of the big challenges we face when attempting to be part of the healthcare system?
– Who is ultimately responsible for advanced credentialing?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 27: The Little Man In Your Brain: The Sensory Homunculus

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 27: The Little Man In Your Brain: The Sensory Homunculus

27: Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe discuss the most famous (yet, unreplicated) illustration in neuroscience, the sensorimotor homunculus, which purports to show the proportion of the brain dedicated to each body part. Is it accurate?

Episode topics include:
– Is the cortical homunculus a map, or the territory?
– How did it come about? Penfield’s methods and limitations.
– How might this all apply to manual therapy and massage?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 26: Movement for Manual Therapists, with Wojtek Cackowski

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 26: Movement for Manual Therapists, with Wojtek Cackowski

26: Til Luchau talks with Polish physical therapist, Anatomy Trains teacher, and manual therapist Wojtek Cackowski about his innovative Zoga Movement method, and how it can help manual therapists not only with their clients, but with their own embodiment and self care.

Episode topics include:
– Fascial shearing and gliding, vs fascial “stretching”
– What is Zoga? How does it relate to manual therapy and massage?
– Til and Wojtek’s collaborative online courses combining Zoga and Advanced Myofascial Techniques

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 25: Psoas Work: Is it Safe? Is it Necessary?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 25: Psoas Work: Is it Safe? Is it Necessary?

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/

Episode topics include:
– Psoas: Holy Grail muscle, or wholly irrelevant?
– Psoas and back pain, leg length, etc.;
– Safety considerations;
– What Til and Whitney actually do in practice.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 24: Plantar Foot Pain Crash Course

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 24: Plantar Foot Pain Crash Course

24: Whitney and Til share a treasure chest of foot-pain ideas and techniques, packed full of assessments, anatomy, concepts, and hands-on tools. Download the free (optional) handout and follow along as Til and Whitney give an audio preview of their upcoming Plantar Foot Pain collaborative webinar (part of the ABMP CE Summit).

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 23: Do Expectations Shape Results? Mark Bishop

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 23: Do Expectations Shape Results? Mark Bishop

23. Mark Bishop’s research shows that clients who think treatment will help benefit more than those who don’t expect much relief. What is more, practitioners who expect their modality will help actually get better results than practitioners who are less certain. What’s up with that?

In this episode, Til and Whitney interview manual therapist, physiotherapist and researcher Mark Bishop about his fascinating investigations into how expectations can shape results; the role of client preferences in treatment success; and how practitioners can most effectively leverage these effects.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 21: My Aching (Upper) Back: Thoracic Spine Pain

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 21: My Aching (Upper) Back: Thoracic Spine Pain

21: Whitney and Til discuss a very common (but poorly researched) complaint: upper thoracic spine pain, and what to do about it.

In this episode,
– Does posture drive upper back pain? Does psychology?
– Breaking the Upper-Cross-Syndrome rules (and what “PhD” doesn’t really stand for).
– The Over-the-Edge technique for upper back pain.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 20: A Pain in the Neck: Cervical Challenges and Strategies

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 20: A Pain in the Neck: Cervical Challenges and Strategies

20: Whitney and Til discuss assessment and treatment considerations unique to working with the neck and cervical region; how their respective training programs are adapting to the challenges of COVID-19; and much more.

In this episode,
– Neck issues: shifting from tissue fault to nociceptive driver
– Can we treat the neck in isolation?
– Thoughts on “text neck,” and more.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 19: What About Risk?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 19: What About Risk?

19: How do we manage risk, in a world where we don’t even agree about what the risks are? Pathology writer Ruth Werner joins Til and Whitney for a lively conversation about risk, risk tolerance, and ethical decision making in massage and manual therapy, in the face of both COVID-19, and in the differences in how we perceive the risks involved.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 17: Who Charts Our Path?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 17: Who Charts Our Path?

17: Manual therapy and massage practitioners are voracious consumers of professional continuing education. Who should be deciding what they learn?

In this episode,
– What implications does the “medically necessary” discussion have on massage and bodywork education, CE, and credentialing?
– Why don’t Rolfers™ think they’re doing massage, anway?
– What is the post-COVID roadmap for professional continuing education?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 16: Benny Vaughn: Black Lives Matter.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 16: Benny Vaughn: Black Lives Matter.

16: Benny Vaughn, an iconic figure in massage therapy, talks with Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau about his experiences as a African American massage therapist, and offers both practical advice and deep inspiration on how manual therapists can address racism and bias in their own lives.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 15: Robert Schleip: Talking to Fascia, Changing the Brain, 20 Years Later

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 15: Robert Schleip: Talking to Fascia, Changing the Brain, 20 Years Later

15: Fascia evokes widely divergent responses from manual therapists, with viewpoints ranging from “incredible” to “irrelevant.” Til Luchau talks with fascial researcher Robert Schleip PhD about his current perspectives on tissue change and the nervous system in manual therapy; fascial debates; and much more.

In this episode,
– Questioning the tissue-based narratives in manual therapy
– Putting to rest the question “How is your work misunderstood?”
– Inflammation, insula, networking, and much more.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 13: Inflammation: Hands-On

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 13: Inflammation: Hands-On

13: Inflammation is implicated in nearly all musculoskeletal complaints, including chronic pain. Til and Whitney explain this, and talk about the implications for massage and manual therapy.

In this episode,
– Are most client complaints related to inflammation? 
– What most practitioners don’t understand about inflammation,
– Key points practitioners should keep in mind,

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 12: The Cytokine Storm of COVID-19

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 12: The Cytokine Storm of COVID-19

12: Coronavirus symptoms range from mild to fatal. Though still mysterious, in many patients it seems to be the patient’s own inflammatory reactions that tip the scale. Til and Whitney explain this, and talk about the implications for massage and manual therapy.  

In this episode,
– What is the deal about COVID-19 and cytokine storms? 
– What is a cytokine, and why do I care? 
– As massage therapists and bodyworkers, where does this leave us? 

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 11: Stretching the Tissues, or the Truth?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 11: Stretching the Tissues, or the Truth?

11: Does manual therapy stretch the tissues? Til and Whitney consider the history, evidence, debates and implications of this fascinating question.

In this episode,
– Myths and misperceptions about stretching,
– Are we stretching connective tissue, or nervous system?
– What does this mean for massage, bodywork, and manual therapy?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 10: When Does the Tissue Matter?

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 10: When Does the Tissue Matter?

10: Whitney and Til consider the debates about tissue-based effects in manual therapy, and share their views about when it makes sense to think about the actual tissues and physical effects of hands-on works.

In this episode,
– Why would people say that the tissue doesn’t matter in manual therapy?
– Examples of tissue-based narratives; the arguments for, and against
– Til and Whitney ask each other, “What tissue effects do you think about when you’re working?”

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 08: Key Challenges Facing Our Field, Part 2

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 08: Key Challenges Facing Our Field, Part 2

08: Til and Whitney talk about the key challenges and opportunities facing manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy. (Part 2 of 2)

In this episode,
– Increasing the accuracy of our explanations,
– Polarization, divisiveness, and infighting within the profession,
– Consolidation and up-scaling of the bodywork “industry,” and more.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 07: Scoliosis and Manual Therapy

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 07: Scoliosis and Manual Therapy

07: Til and Whitney talk about hands-on work with scoliosis.

In this episode,
– What do we know about scoliosis’ causes?
– What are some common scoliosis myths?
– When is scoliosis a problem?
– What are conventional treatments?
– What’s manual therapy’s role? And much more.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 06: Tendons and Tendinopathies

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 06: Tendons and Tendinopathies

06: Til and Whitney discuss considerations for hands-on work with tendinopathies and tendon issues.

In this episode,
– What is a tendinopathy? Examples?
– Tendinitis vs.tendinosis; tenosynovitis
– What are typical signs?
– What is known about causes?
– Inflammation or degeneration?
– Collagen, paretenon, fascicles, etc,
– Nerval arborization/sprouting,
– What’s manual therapy’s role?
– Approaches, debates, consensus, and much more…

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 05: Documentation and Electronic Health Records (guest Diana Thompson)

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 05: Documentation and Electronic Health Records (guest Diana Thompson)

05: Whitney talks with Diana Thompson about documentation, health records, and including massage therapy in mainstream healthcare practices.

In this episode,
Introducing Diana Thompson 
– History of Hands Heal and SOAP documentation for massage therapy 
– Washington’s “every category of provider” clause
– Electronic health records and the future of clinical documentation
– and more.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 04: Key Challenges Facing Our Field, Part 1

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 04: Key Challenges Facing Our Field, Part 1

04: Til and Whitney talk about the key challenges and opportunities facing manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy. (Part 1 of 2)

In this episode,
– Aging practitioners, younger students
– Split personality of the profession
– The epidemic of over-busyness
– Income issues
– and more

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 03: Sacroiliac Joint Pain

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 03: Sacroiliac Joint Pain

03: Til and Whitney discuss sacroiliac joint pain and hand-on therapies: causes, controversies, and considerations.

In this episode,
– What causes SIJ pain? 
– Does the SIJ move a little, or a lot? 
– What about hypermobility? 
– What are the controversies? 
– What does the research say? 
– Key considerations for manual therapists, 
– and much more.

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 01: The Back Story, Part 1

Thinking Practitioner Podcast, Ep 01: The Back Story, Part 1

In this episode, Til and Whitney interview each other about their backgrounds, histories, and current interests. Part 1 of 2.

Join two of the leading educators in manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy, as they delve into the most intriguing issues, questions, research, and client conditions that hands-on practitioners face. Stimulate your thinking with imaginative conversations, tips, and interviews related to the somatic arts and sciences. With Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau.

Huge thanks to our founding sponsors:

           ABMP massage therapy            Handspring Publishing

 

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