

The Thinking Practitioner
Til Luchau & Whitney 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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 2, 2022 • 55min
78: More Carrots, or More Sticks? The Continuing Education Conundrum
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. Check out the video of their conversation on Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Julie Onofrio’s post “The Continuing CE Conundrum in the Massage Profession”
Whitney Lowe’s “The Future of Advanced Massage Credentialing”
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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Oct 19, 2022 • 1h 3min
77: The Future of the Profession (with Sandy Fritz)
Whitney has a conversation with Sandy Fritz on her vision of the current and future state of the profession.
How the current economic situation has impacted the massage profession
Innovative changes with the ICMT
The migration of massage employment to a "job"
Challenges with massage employees
How to work full time
Ergonomic challenges in our field
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
International Consortium of Manual Therapies: https://www.icmtconference.org/
Health Enrichment Center: https://www.healthenrichment.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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Oct 5, 2022 • 49min
76: Fascia Research Congress Highlights (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
Til & Whitney share their takeaways, impressions, and highlights from the recent 6th International Fascia Research Congress in Montreal. Topics include:
New research correlating tissue qualities with depression
Biomechanics of thoracolumbar fascia
Counterintuitive findings about Ehlers-Danlos
Fascia and elastic recoil
Should we massage tumors?
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Robert Schleip's recent article in Massage & Bodywork magazine: The Fascial Network; Our Richest Sensory Organ
The Fascia Research Congress info page for speaker info, recordings and 2025 dates: https://fasciaresearchsociety.org.
Sponsor Offers:
Til's next Principles training: Ilia & SI Joints: Principles first lecture: Oct 5, 2022
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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Sep 26, 2022 • 45min
75: Secret Shopper CE Review (bonus episode, with Hands at the Table podcast)
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. Listen in as they dissect and review the course, bit-by-excruciating-bit.
(And, you can find out more about Til’s next Principles course, live or by recording, at Advanced-Trainings.com.)
In this episode:
Were the techniques useful?
How was the course structured?
Can something like this even be learned at a distance?
Get the transcript of their conversation on Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Til's next Principles training: Ilia & SI Joints: Principles
Free intro: Sep 28, first lecture: Oct 5, 2022
The original review: the Hands at the Table podcast dissects Til Luchau's AMT Principles course
Bori is on Instagram at: @bori_suranyi_lmt
Jeff is on Instagram at: @jbramhall
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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Sep 21, 2022 • 1h 4min
74: Sacroiliac Joints: The Next Level (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)
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. NEW: check out the video of their conversation on Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Article: “Current Concepts in Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction” (free, registration required)
Training: Ilia & SI Joints: Principles
Free intro: Sep 28, first lecture: Oct 5, 2022
Review: the Hands at the Table podcast hosts dissect an AMT Principles course
Previous TTP SIJ episode: 3: Sacroiliac Joint Pain: Causes, Controversies, and Considerations
Whitney’s references:
Physiotutors web clip on Laslett SI joint test cluster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8txpsqHYpQ&t=197s
Szadek KM, Hoogland P V., Zuurmond WW, de Lange JJ, Perez RS. Nociceptive Nerve Fibers in the Sacroiliac Joint in Humans. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2008;33(1):36-43. doi:10.1016/j.rapm.2007.07.011
Bertoldo D, Pirri C, Roviaro B, et al. Pilot study of sacroiliac joint dysfunction treated with a single session of fascial manipulation® method: Clinical implications for effective pain reduction. Med. 2021;57(7):1-11. doi:10.3390/medicina57070691
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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Sep 7, 2022 • 45min
73: Long Term Lyme Disease: What Helps? (with Ruth Werner)
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.
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Ruth Werner's:
Podcast: I Have a Client Who
Textbook: A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology from Books of Discovery
Article: "Long-Term Lyme Disease: Controversies and Challenges" in Massage & Bodywork July-August 2022, p72
CE site: ruthewerner.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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Aug 24, 2022 • 55min
72: Intimacy, Sex & Massage: Strange Bedfellows? (with Cal Cates)
Til Luchau 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.
Watch the video of their conversation and get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe: Academy of Clinical Massage
Til Luchau: Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Cal Cates’ Strange Bedfellows blog post
Interdisciplinary Podcast
Healthcare & Intimacy Virtual Symposium on September 24, 2022
The Healwell Online Community
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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Aug 10, 2022 • 44min
71: Fascia & Pain: What We Know (with Helene Langevin)
Famed 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 inflammation; contextual effects and placebos; and much more.
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Fascia Mobility, Proprioception, and Myofascial Pain (Langevin 2021)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) site
NCCIH Director’s Page
Sponsor Offers:
The 6th International Fascia Research Congress in Montreal, Sep 10-14, 2022 at https://fasciaresearchsociety.org.
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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Jul 27, 2022 • 1h 3min
70: Stretching: Would Everyone Just Relax? (with Jules Mitchell)
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.
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Jules Mitchell’s book: Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined.
Save 20% when you enter TTP at checkout at Handspring Publishing.
Jules Mitchell’s site: julesmitchell.com
Previous podcast: Stretching the Tissues, or the Truth?
Episode 11 of The Thinking Practitioner
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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)

Jul 13, 2022 • 1h 9min
69: Back Pain, Stiffness & Fascia (with Stuart McGill)
Legendary back pain researcher Stuart McGill (author of Back Mechanic and others) talks with Whitney and Til about spinal pain, fascia, biomechanics and other topics including:
- Stiffness/mobility tuning in manual therapy
- The psoas' role in supporting the spine
- Fascial connections, Janda's lower-crossed model, and more.
Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites:
Whitney Lowe’s online Clinical & Orthopedic Massage Courses
Til Luchau’s courses at Advanced-Trainings.com
Resources:
Stuart McGill’s site:
Backfitpro.com
Books by Stuart McGill:
Back Mechanic ISBN: 978-097350182
Low Back Disorders ISBN: 978-097350182
Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance ISBN: 978-0973501834
Stu recommends:
Bernie Clark: Your Spine, Your Yoga: Developing stability and mobility for your spine ISBN: 978-0968766552
Sponsor Offers:
The 6th International Fascia Research Congress in Montreal, Sep 10-14, 2022 at https://fasciaresearchsociety.org.
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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com
(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.)


