The Thinking Practitioner

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.Key Topics: •Grief isn’t about “letting go” but “letting in” and honoring the lost. •Societal pressures often encourage suppressing grief. •Parallels between grief and trauma: both require embracing pain rather than avoiding it. •Physical manifestations of grief and the role of bodywork in processing it. •Importance of rituals in grief (including the "ritual" of getting bodywork) for emotional and physical healing. •The significance of community and meaningful connections in combating loneliness. •The “intimate stranger” concept, where trust can build quickly with clients. •Touch as non-verbal "prayer" and support in grief. •Encouraging open conversations about grief and loss, and building authentic relationships. Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Resources mentioned in this episode: JS Park's book: As Long as You Need: Permission to Grieve http://aslongasyouneedbook.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.  Advanced-Trainings: try a month of the amazing A-T Subscription free by entering “thinking” at checkout at a-t.tv/subscriptions/,. Academy of Clinical Massage: Grab Whitney's valuable Assessment Cheat Sheet for free at: academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected] (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 new study shows that our fingertips lose sensitivity as we age. What are the implications for massage and bodywork practitioners? Tune in and listen as Til and Whitney think it through, and along the way, share fascinating tidbits about tactile sensitivity training, and its relevance to actual practice. Key Topics: •Introduction and Sponsor Message (00:00 - 01:30) •Discussion of Tactile Sensitivity Study (01:30 - 03:30) •Decline in tactile sensitivity, especially in fingers with age •Importance of glabrous skin (hairless skin) in mechanoreception •Mechanoreceptors and Aging (03:30 - 06:00) •Von Frey monofilament test used to measure sensitivity •Examples of exercises to improve tactile sensitivity in manual therapy •Proprioception and Sensory Discrimination (06:00 - 09:00) •Importance of spatial discrimination in manual therapy •Stiffness testing for practitioners •Tactile Acuity and Practice (09:00 - 12:00) •Training methods for developing tactile sensitivity, including touch games and exercises •Aging and Mechanoreceptor Deterioration (12:00 - 16:00) •Impact of aging on nerve function and tissue hydration •Central processing changes in the brain affecting tactile perception •Implications for Clients and Practitioners (16:00 - 23:00) •Loss of sensitivity and its effect on daily activities and manual therapy •Correlation between pain and reduced tactile sensitivity •Qualitative vs Quantitative Touch in Therapy (23:00 - 30:00) •Debate on whether tactile acuity is essential for effective manual therapy •Importance of qualitative touch and attentiveness in client care •Social Grooming and Pleasant Touch (30:00 - 38:00) •The role of pleasant touch in therapy, linked to brain processes •Sensitivity in non-fingertip areas (forearms, cheeks) and its significance •Takeaways on Tactile Sensitivity and Aging (38:00 - 45:00) •Summary of findings on aging and tactile sensitivity •Importance of listening and touch quality in manual therapy Get the video and full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Resources mentioned in this episode: Samain-Aupic, Léonard, Mariama Dione, Edith Ribot-Ciscar, Rochelle Ackerley, and Jean-Marc Aimonetti. “Relations between Tactile Sensitivity of the Finger, Arm, and Cheek Skin over the Lifespan Showing Decline Only on the Finger.” Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 16 (July 2, 2024): 1387136. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2024.1387136. Bartsch, Katja Martina, Robert Schleip, Alberto Zullo, Kerstin Hoppe, and Werner Klingler. “The Stiffness Comparison Test: A Pilot Study to Determine Inter-Individual Differences in Palpatory Skill Related to Gender, Age, and Occupation-Related Experience.” Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 24, no. 4 (October 2020): 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.06.009. 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.  Advanced-Trainings: try a month of the amazing A-T Subscription free by entering “thinking” at checkout at a-t.tv/subscriptions/,. Academy of Clinical Massage: Grab Whitney's valuable Assessment Cheat Sheet for free at: academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected] (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 interviews tendon expert Dr. Jill Cook, who discusses the current understanding of tendinopathy as a degenerative condition, emphasizing the importance of proper loading in rehabilitation. She explains why she advises against traditional treatments like friction massage and stretching, why anti-inflammatory medications are ineffective, and highlights the risks of certain drugs on tendon health. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Cook provides evidence-based insights for all manual therapists on treating tendinopathies effectively. Key Topics: Shift from thinking of tendinopathies as inflammatory conditions to degenerative conditions (03:01 - 04:24) Factors that contribute to pain in tendinopathies (04:40 - 05:41) Clinical signs and symptoms of tendinopathy (06:06 - 08:34) The role of loading and compression in tendon pathology (08:54 - 16:45) Treatment strategies for tendinopathies, including friction massage and anti-inflammatory medications (19:06 - 31:48) Medically-induced tendinopathies, such as those caused by fluoroquinolone antibiotics (32:05 - 35:04) The role of active movement and soft tissue treatments in tendinopathy rehabilitation (35:30 - 38:29) Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Resources mentioned in this episode: Jill Cook: [email protected] Fairclough J, Hayashi K, Toumi H, et al. The functional anatomy of the iliotibial band during flexion and extension of the knee: implications for understanding iliotibial band syndrome. J Anat. 2006;208(3):309-316. doi:JOA531 [pii] 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00531.x 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.  Advanced-Trainings: try a month of the amazing A-T Subscription free by entering “thinking” at checkout at a-t.tv/subscriptions/,. Academy of Clinical Massage: Grab Whitney's valuable Assessment Cheat Sheet for free at: academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected] (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.)

In this episode, Til and Whitney dive into strategies for addressing low back pain (LBP) with hands-on work, exploring LBP's prevalence, causes, and treatments. Sharing the insights they've gained from experts such as Nikolai Bogduk, Stewart McGill, Paul Hodges, Lorimer Moseley, Helene Langevin and Antonio Stecco, they lay out the diverse views on both the structural and non-mechanical origins of LBP. Listeners will also learn about therapeutic approaches, the significance of practitioner confidence, and the importance of comprehensive evaluations. Tune in for a fascinating look at how practitioners and clients alike can better understand and work with low back pain.Key Topics: 1. Prevalence of low back pain Over 60-70% of people have episodes of low back pain at some point [01:51]  Leading cause of disability worldwide Huge economic impact 2. Potential evolutionary factors contributing to low back pain Transition to bipedalism and upright posture Differences in spinal curvature and hip mobility between cultures [05:45] 3. Causes and contributors to low back pain - [07:39] Overemphasis on disc and structural issues in the past Importance of comprehensive evaluation beyond just structural issues Role of soft tissue, muscular, and neural factor 4. Influence of practitioner perspective and confidence on outcomes [30:20] Importance of the therapeutic relationship and rapport Unexpected interventions can sometimes be effective [35:53] 5. Personal experiences with low back pain Overuse vs. underuse/immobility as contributors Debates about the significance of posture, load, and context [41:31] Limits of expertise vs. scope of practice for massage therapists Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Resources mentioned in this episode: ABMPs’ CE Summit on LBP: live Oct 1, 2024 and free to everyone in the profession: abmp.com/summit Portions also available by recording to ABMP members and next year, to A-T Subscribers  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.  Advanced-Trainings: try a month of the amazing A-T Subscription free by entering “thinking” at checkout at a-t.tv/subscriptions/,. Academy of Clinical Massage: Grab Whitney's valuable Assessment Cheat Sheet for free at: academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected] (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.)

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, in this audience-favorite episode from our archives, where it originally ran as Ep. 53. Key Topics: Introduction to Dr. Antonio Stecco and his background in fascia research The role of the Stecco family in advancing fascia research Differences between superficial fascia and deep fascia The concept of fascial densification vs. fibrosis How manual therapy affects fascial lubrication and gliding The relationship between fascial stiffness/thickness and pain Mechanisms for long-lasting effects of fascial manipulation The importance of restoring proper biomechanics, not just treating pain The role of retinacula in proprioception and joint stability New MRI techniques for imaging fascial properties Molecular structure of hyaluronan in fascia Use of hyaluronidase injections for treating spasticity Resources for learning more about fascial manipulation Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites!  Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com  Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com  Resources discussed in this episode: Dr Stecco’s research and publications (NYU) FM app on the Apple Store and Google Play Dr Stecco’s site: fascialmanipulation.com Papers mentioned in the episode: Gerber et al., “A Systematic Comparison Between Subjects With No Pain and Pain Associated With Active Myofascial Trigger Points.” Langevin, Helene M. et al. “Reduced Thoracolumbar Fascia Shear Strain in Human Chronic Low Back Pain.” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 12, no. 1 (December 2011): 203. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-12-203. Stecco, Antonio at al. “Ultrasonography in Myofascial Neck Pain: Randomized Clinical Trial for Diagnosis and Follow-Up.” Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy 36, no. 3 (April 2014): 243–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-013-1185-2. 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.  Advanced-Trainings: try a month of the amazing A-T Subscription free by entering “thinking” at checkout at a-t.tv/subscriptions/,. Academy of Clinical Massage: Grab Whitney's valuable Assessment Cheat Sheet for free at: academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet About Whitney Lowe  | About Til Luchau  |  Email Us: [email protected] (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.)