The Thinking Practitioner

Project COPE is tracking the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on both essential and “non-essential” healthcare practitioners, including massage therapists and bodyworkers. It’s already revealing some insights about representation and diversity in our field. Listen to learn more, and participate in the project at the link below.  In the Thinking Practitioner series, 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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  Project COPE (Chronicling healthcare prOviders' Pandemic Experiences)  International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB)  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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.)

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, anyway?  What is the post-COVID roadmap for professional continuing education?  In the Thinking Practitioner series, 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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  Kiva.org Join the Hands-OnTherapists’ Lenders Team, Or borrow, interest-free  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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.)

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.  In the Thinking Practitioner series, 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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  Contact Benny Vaughn at benny.vaughn@bennyvaughntherapy.com  More about Benny Vaughn: “Celebrating 40 Years of Benny Vaughn’s Contributions” in Massage and Bodywork magazine.  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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.)

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.  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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  Robert Schleip, “Talking to Fascia—Changing the Brain: Explorations of the Neuro-Myofascial Net,” Rolf Lines 19, no. 2 (2005):18–21.  More about Robert Schleip and his work is at www.somatics.de/en and www.fasciaresearch.de.  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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 lot of hands-on therapists are wondering about “staying with it.”  Til and Whitney explore the reasons massage and manual therapy practitioners might (and might not) be thinking about quitting.  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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  “Acts of kindness prevent a downward spiral from solitude to loneliness.” (Economist, Apr 18th 2020)  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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.)

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,  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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  Til Luchau’s “Inflammation” 1hr online course (preview free)  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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.)

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?  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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  Til Luchau’s “Understanding COVID-19’s Cytokine Storm” article in the May/June 2020 issue of Massage & Bodywork (p80)  Apoorva Mandavilli’s “The Coronavirus Patients Betrayed by Their Own Immune Systems,” article in the New York Times  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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.)

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?  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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  Ingraham, Paul. “Quite a Stretch: Stretching Hype Debunked.” https://www.painscience.com/articles/stretching.php.  Mitchell, Jules. 2019. Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined. Pencaitland, East Lothian: Handspring Publishing.  Smith, Nancy Keeney, and Catherine Ryan. 2016. Traumatic Scar Tissue Management: Massage Therapy Principles, Practice and Protocols. Edinburgh: Handspring Publishing.  Weppler, Cynthia Holzman, and S. Peter Magnusson. 2010. “Increasing Muscle Extensibility: A Matter of Increasing Length or Modifying Sensation?” Physical Therapy 90 (3): 438–49. https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20090012.  AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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 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?”   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.   Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!   Resources discussed in this episode:   Rathbone A, Henry J, Kumbhare D. Comment on: A critical evaluation of the trigger point phenomenon. Rheumatol (United Kingdom). 2015;54(6):1126-1127. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kev028,  Jacobs D. Dermoneuromodulating. Victoria: Tellwell Talent; 2016,  AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com   Advanced-Trainings.com   Anatomy image courtesy Robert Schleip, ©fascialnet.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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 and Til discuss the descending modulation of pain in manual therapy.  In this episode,  What is descending modulation?  What are the implications?  How do we use it?  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.  Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Resources discussed in this episode:  Olson, Mark. “Descending Modulation: Why Massage Therapy Can Alleviate Pain.” Blog. Massage And Fitness Magazine, October 24, 2019. https://www.massagefitnessmag.com/massage/descending-modulation-why-massage-therapy-alleviates-pain.  Vigotsky, Andrew D., and Ryan P. Bruhns. “Corrigendum to ‘The Role of Descending Modulation in Manual Therapy and Its Analgesic Implications: A Narrative Review.’” Pain Research and Treatment 2017 (2017): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1535473.  ———. “The Role of Descending Modulation in Manual Therapy and Its Analgesic Implications: A Narrative Review.” Pain Research and Treatment 2015 (2015): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/292805.  AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Advanced-Trainings.com  Sponsor Offers:  Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com.  ABMP: save $24 on new membership at abmp.com/thinking.  Handspring Publishing: save 20% by entering “TTP” at checkout at handspringpublishing.com.  About Whitney Lowe  |  About Til Luchau  |  Email Us  (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.)