The Thinking Practitioner
Episodes
66: Beyond ”It Depends:” Oncology Massage (with Janet Penny, Rebecca Sturgeon, and Loretta Luchau)
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Til gets personal as he discusses bodywork with people living with cancer, with Janet Penny and Rebecca Sturgeon, the authors of “Oncology Massage: ...
65: Women Leaders in Massage Therapy (with CG Funk, Ruth Werner, and Irene Diamond)
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Women account for about 85 percent of Massage Therapists in the US. However, there isn't always a corresponding representation of women as CE provider...
64: The Handspring Story (with Andrew Stevenson and Mary Law)
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
63: Turnabout is Fair Play: Our Favorite Perspective Reversals
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
People change their minds--sometimes, radically. Learning, improving, refining, all involve changing how we saw things before. But is there a cost? An...
62: Educational Innovations (with Anne Williams and Eric Brown)
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney talks with Anne Williams and Eric Brown about innovations in education. They delve into these important topics: such as: -Early explorations...
61: Massage Therapy Research (with Niki Munk)
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney talks with Niki Munk about massage therapy research. They delve into these important topics: such as: -What are levels of evidence and why d...
60: Physical Therapy Assisting and Massage (with Matt Gavzy)
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney talks with massage therapist and physical therapy assistant Matt Gavzy about working in a team practice with other professionals, and about in...
59: What Influenced You? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney and Til compare notes about the major influences on their own careers, and along the way discuss topics such as: -The development of massage a...
58: Outside the Box (with Judith Aston)
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
57: A Fine Irish Visit (with Aubrey Gowing)
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Holi...
56: Working with Rib Issues
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe talk through their hands-on approaches to rib pain, ribcage restrictions, and related breathing issues. Download the techn...
55: What Is Success? (with Diane Matkowski)
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe get personal with Diane Matkowski (The Massage Mentor) about what "success" means to each of them, and preview their upcom...
54: Season Two Highlights - Best of the Thinking Practitioner Podcast
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau review highlights and key take-aways from their busy second season of interviews, conversations, and inquiries into the th...
53: Fascia: A Deep Dive (with Dr. Antonio Stecco)
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til and Whitney speak with fascial researcher, anatomist, and manual therapy teacher Antonio Stecco MD PhD about his research in to fascial properties...
52: Orthopedic Special Tests (with Whitney Lowe)
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til interviews Whitney about his use of Orthopedic Special Tests. Topics include: The promise and the reality of special tests Pros, cons, and controv...
51: Neuroinflammation (with Todd Hargrove)
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til & Whitney talk with Todd Hargrove of the Better Movement blog and podcast about neuroinflammation and its role in pain and health. Topics include:...
50: A View Across The Border (with Jamie Johnston & Eric Purves)
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney interviews Jamie Johnston and Eric Purves Topics include: How does massage education differ in the U.S. and Canada How have things changed wi...
49: Interoception Is The Key, Like It Or Not (with Til Luchau)
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney interviews Til about his upcoming “Three Questions About Interoception” article in Massage & Bodywork magazine. Topics include: What is in...
48: Psoas Work: Is it Safe? Is it Necessary? (Hip Jam rebroadcast)
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of the upcoming Hip Jam, Whitney and Til discuss the controversies, disagreements, considerations, and their own views on the infamous psoas ...
47: Getting Over Over-Pronation (Ankle & Foot Function)
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of Til's upcoming "Leg Knee & Foot" online course, he and Whitney geek out on conditions, anatomy, function, and biomechanics of the an...
46: To ITB, or Not To ITB? (Iliotibial Band Controversies, Conditions, and Approaches)
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney and Til unfold the controversies, compare thoughts, and share approaches for working with the iliotibial band. Download the free handout! To...
45: Fascia in Sport & Movement (with Robert Schleip)
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe talk with researcher and Robert Schleip about fascia, movement, and research updates in the newly released second edition of...
44: Table Lessons (with Doug Nelson)
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney talks to Doug Nelson about the challenges and learning experiences of a great massage career spanning over four decades. Topics include: ...
43: Trauma, MDMA Psychotherapy, and the Body (with Marcela Ot'alora G.)
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau talks about trauma, psychedelic psychotherapy, and the body, with Marcela Ot'alora G., the principal investigator in a very promising FDA-a...
42: Scars and Scar Tissue (with Cathy Ryan)
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til and Whitney talk to Cathy Ryan RMT about her book 'Traumatic Scar Tissue Management: Massage Therapy Principles, Practice and Protocols,' co-autho...
41: Going For It: The Massage Mentor (with Diane Matkowski)
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 bodyw...
40: How To (Not) Fix It (with Cal Cates)
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
39: Are You Thinking Critically? (with Ruth Werner)
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 thinki...
38: Frozen Shoulder & Adhesive Capsulitis: Updating our Approach
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau give a crash course on frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis, discussing recent research and comparing their respective views ...
37: Shoulder Pain, Impingement, & Rotator Cuff Issues: The Most Common of Problems
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe share their ideas, strategies, techniques, and tests for better results with the most common type of shoulder condition, s...
36: Research and Education (with Robin Anderson)
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
35: Resources That Inspire Our Learning
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe share their top resources for information and inspiration, both professionally and personally, letting us in on everything...
34: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: What You Didn’t Know
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau share trivia, tips, tests, and techniques for working with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), including some cool self-care m...
33: Dealing With Adversity (with Drew Freedman)
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Clinician and educator Drew Freedman talks about navigating many challenges of managing a busy clinic in the heart of Boston. The clinic was severely ...
32: Aging Well (with Art Riggs)
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Art Riggs was one of the first Certified Rolfers[tm] to publish a book about "advanced" techniques. His textbook (Deep Tissue Massage) was adopted by ...
31: Headaches of Another Kind: Cervicogenic Headaches
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 Wh...
30: Excuses, Excuses: Our Favorite Reasons Not To ________
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What makes taking care of ourselves so hard? Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe dissect the difficulties, and share their favorite excuses for not putting th...
29: Season 1 Retrospective - Best of the Thinking Practitioner
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe review highlights and take-aways from the star-studded first season of their acclaimed podcast (yea, right). Most-Downlo...
28: Advanced Credentialing and Massage as Healthcare
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney Lowe talks with Cal Cates, executive director of Healwell. They tackle the challenging issues of how to recognize advanced training and the ch...
27: The Little Man In The Brain: The Sensory Homunculus
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe discuss the most famous (yet, unreplicated) illustration in neuroscience, the sensorimotor homunculus, which purports to s...
26: Zoga: Movement for Manual Therapists (with Wojtek Cackowski)
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Til Luchau talks with Polish physical therapist, Anatomy Trains teacher, and manual therapist Wojtek Cackowski about his innovative Zoga Movement meth...
25: Psoas Work: Is it Safe? Is it Necessary?
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney and Til discuss the controversies, disagreements, considerations, and their own views on the infamous psoas muscle in manual therapy and massa...
24: Plantar Foot Pain Crash Course
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney and Til share a treasure chest of foot-pain ideas and techniques, packed full of assessments, anatomy, concepts, and hands-on tools. Download ...
23: Do Expectations Shape Results? (with Mark Bishop)
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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, practi...
22: Fascia, Fuzz and Furor (with Gil Hedley)
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Anatomist Gil Hedley discusses fascial debacles, debates, and dissection with Til Luchau. In this episode, Gil Hedley’s Fuzz Speech: facts, f...
21: My Aching (Upper) Back: Thoracic Spine Pain
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney and Til discuss a very common (but poorly researched) complaint: upper thoracic spine pain, and what to do about it. In this episode, D...
20: A Pain in the Neck: Cervical Challenges and Strategies
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney and Til discuss assessment and treatment considerations unique to working with the neck and cervical region; how their respective training pro...
19: What About Risk?
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 livel...
18: Project COPE (with Ann Blair Kennedy and Kemi Balogun)
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Project COPE is tracking the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on both essential and “non-essential” healthcare practitioners, including massage the...
17: Who Charts Our Path?
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Manual therapy and massage practitioners are voracious consumers of professional continuing education. Who should be deciding what they learn? In th...
16: Black Lives Matter (with Benny Vaughn)
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Benny Vaughn, an iconic figure in massage therapy, talks with Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau about his experiences as a African American massage therapis...
15: Talking to Fascia, Changing the Brain, 20 Years Later (with Robert Schleip)
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Fascia evokes widely divergent responses from manual therapists, with viewpoints ranging from “incredible” to “irrelevant.” Til Luchau talks w...
14: Do We Keep Doing This?
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of hands-on therapists are wondering about “staying with it.” Til and Whitney explore the reasons massage and manual therapy practitioners...
13: Inflammation: Hands-On
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Inflammation is implicated in nearly all musculoskeletal complaints, including chronic pain. Til and Whitney explain this, and talk about the implicat...
12: The Cytokine Storm of COVID-19
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Coronavirus symptoms range from mild to fatal. Though still mysterious, in many patients it seems to be the patient’s own inflammatory reactions tha...
11: Stretching the Tissues, or the Truth?
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Does manual therapy stretch the tissues? Til and Whitney consider the history, evidence, debates and implications of this fascinating question. In t...
10: When Does The Tissue Matter?
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
09: Descending Modulation in Manual Therapy
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney and Til discuss the descending modulation of pain in manual therapy. In this episode, What is descending modulation? What are the implic...
08: Key Challenges Facing Our Field, Part 2
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Til and Whitney talk about the key challenges and opportunities facing manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy. (Part 2 of 2) In this episode,...
07: Scoliosis and Manual Therapy
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scoliosis and Manual Therapy Til and Whitney talk about hands-on work with scoliosis. In this episode, What do we know about scoliosis' causes?,...
06: Tendons and Tendinopathies
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Til and Whitney discuss considerations for hands-on work with tendinopathies and tendon issues. In this episode, What is a tendinopathy? Examples?...
05: Documentation and Electronic Health Records (with Diana Thompson)
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney talks with Diana Thompson about documentation, health records, and including massage therapy in mainstream healthcare practices. In this epi...
04: Key Challenges Facing Our Field, Part 1
01 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Til and Whitney talk about the key challenges and opportunities facing manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy. (Part 1 of 2) In this episode...
03: Sacroiliac Joint Pain: Causes, Controversies, and Considerations
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Til and Whitney discuss sacroiliac joint pain and hand-on therapies: causes, controversies, and considerations. In this episode, What causes SIJ p...
02: The Back Story, Part 2
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Til and Whitney interview each other about their backgrounds, histories, and current interests. Part 2 of 2. Join two of the leading educators in ma...
01: The Back Story, Part 1
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Til and Whitney interview each other about their backgrounds, histories, and current interests. Part 1 of 2. Join two of the leadin...