Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe

The Thinking Practitioner

A Courses , Education and Health & Fitness podcast

About the show

For the practitioner who’s never stopped being curious. Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe bring together leading researchers, master clinicians, and big questions from across bodywork, massage, and manual therapy — exploring not just what we do with our hands, but why it works and how to do it better. Smart, grounded, and genuinely useful conversations for the somatic arts and sciences. For professional practitioners in bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedics, sports massage, physical therapy, and osteopathy — as well as yoga, strength and conditioning, and allied professions. This podcast is not medical or treatment advice.

Newest episodes

183: Tight Tissue: What Are We Really Feeling? (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Nov 11, 2026 54 min

🎙 183: Tight Tissue: What Are We Really Feeling? When tissue feels softer under your hands, what changed—and did it help? A client says their neck is tight. You find something firm, work on it, and feel it soften. They feel better. It’s a familiar sequence—and an easy one to turn into an explanation: the tissue was tight, you loosened it, and that’s why the pain changed. But what the client feels, what your hands notice, and what actually changed may tell different parts of the story. Whitney and Til explore muscle activity, fascial hydration, practitioner expectations, and research linking tissue qualities with pain. They consider when stiffness may be useful, how to describe what you feel without making it sound like a problem, and why even temporary changes can offer something worth building on. The conversation returns to a practical question: how does what happens under your hands relate to the comfort, confidence, and movement options your client came for? ✨ We talk about: • What clients mean by “tight”—and how to ask without leading • The “potato masher” model, protective guarding, and useful stiffness • Robert Schleip’s three possibilities: muscle activity, hydration, and practitioner expectancy • Fascia and pain: what associations can and can’t tell us • Comparing perceptions and describing differences without alarming clients • Temporary improvements, movement options, and what makes a change useful • A session cycle: clarify the experience, try something, recheck, and adapt ✨ And tell us what happened: In one session this week, compare what your client calls “tight,” what your hands notice, and what changes in a movement that matters to them. Where do those observations agree, and where do they differ? Email us — we’d love to hear it. ✨ Resources: • Stecco et al., “Ultrasonography in myofascial neck pain: randomized clinical trial for diagnosis and follow-up,” Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy (2014; online 2013): https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-013...

182: Shoulder Pain: Stop Blaming the Sore Spot (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Oct 28, 2026 1 hr 6 min

🎙 182: Shoulder Pain: Stop Blaming the Sore Spot (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) What if the sore spot isn’t the whole shoulder story—and the work that feels good today makes it worse tomorrow? A tendon to treat, a joint to mobilize, a movement pattern to correct: familiar starting points for shoulder work. But what if they don’t help—or keep things stirred up? Til brings his own stubborn shoulder into a conversation about what tenderness, movement, and history can tell us. Whitney and Til explore how mechanics, nerve symptoms, and broader sensitivity can shape our choices. They compare targeted work with gentler exploration, discuss referred pain and medical referral, and consider how to help clients find comfortable movement while rebuilding capacity. The useful question isn’t just “Did that help?” but “How was it the next day?” ✨ We talk about: • Daily demands and short-lived relief • Tenderness: when direct work helps or aggravates • Active, passive, and resisted movement clues • Scapular mechanics, tendon irritability, and sensitivity • Nerve symptoms, referred pain, and medical referral • Loading tissues and finding movement you enjoy • Next-day feedback, self-care, and changing course ✨ And tell us what happened: What changed a stubborn shoulder case for you? Email us — we’d love to hear it. ✨ Resources: • Til Luchau, Advanced Myofascial Techniques, Vol. 1: https://advanced-trainings.com/product/advanced-myofascial-techniques-vol1/ • Greg Lehman’s pain and recovery resources: https://www.greglehman.ca/recovery-strategies-pain-guidebook • Related episode: Nerve Pain: Stop Blaming Compression (179): https://www.thethinkingpractitioner.com/e/179-nerve-pain-stop-blaming-compression-with-whitney-lowe-til-luchau/ 🌱 Sponsor Offers: • Jane – Try it free for one month with code THINKING1MO at https://a-t.tv/jane • ABMP – Save on new membership at https://abmp.com/thinking • Books of Discovery – Save 15% with code THINKING at https://booksofdiscovery.com •...

181: What Clients Actually Value (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Oct 14, 2026 51 min

🎙 What Clients Actually Value (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) Can a session be worthwhile even when the client’s pain score doesn’t change? Most of us judge our work by what’s easiest to measure: the pain scale, range of motion, how the technique went. But when a new review of 15 qualitative studies looked at what patients actually got from massage, osteopathic, and craniosacral work, they described much more—better sleep, less fatigue and anxiety, a sense of safety and belonging, and a changed relationship with their own bodies. Whitney and Til explore what shapes those experiences, why the evidence on technique versus relationship is more mixed than either camp might like, and what it all means in the treatment room. ✨ We talk about: • The details clients notice: being heard, time to talk, choices, temperature, lighting • When a client wants deeper pressure than you think is wise • Technique, relationship, or both? What therapeutic alliance research does and doesn’t show • Why a technique isn’t a pill • Pain versus distress: supporting the person when the number won’t change • Better questions than “How’s the pressure?”—and what to do with “fine” • A session arc: what would make it useful, feedback during, and “what’s different?” after ✨ And tell us what happened: ask one client what they value most about your sessions. Email us — we’d love to hear it. ✨ Resources: • Zhang et al., “Patients’ experiences and perceived outcomes of manual therapy,” Frontiers in Pain Research, 2026: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2026.1767395 • Michael Balint, The Doctor, His Patient and the Illness (1957) 🌱 Sponsor Offers: • Jane – Try it free for one month with code THINKING1MO at https://a-t.tv/jane • ABMP – Save on new membership at https://abmp.com/thinking • Books of Discovery – Save 15% with code thinking at https://booksofdiscovery.com • Advanced-Trainings – Try one month free of the A-T Subscription with code thinking at https://a-t.tv/subscriptions • Academy of Cl...

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All episodes

183: Tight Tissue: What Are We Really Feeling? (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Nov 11, 2026 54 min

182: Shoulder Pain: Stop Blaming the Sore Spot (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Oct 28, 2026 1 hr 6 min

181: What Clients Actually Value (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Oct 14, 2026 51 min

180: Fascial Elves and Vikings (with Heike Oellerich & Miriam Wessels)

Sep 30, 2026 57 min

🎙 Fascial Elves and Vikings (with Heike Oellerich & Miriam Wessels) Some people can fold themselves into almost any position but struggle to find stability; others feel strong and solid but can’t reach their toes—and the difference may start long before either of them ever trained. Most of us were taught to read range of motion as a story about training, habit, and nervous system protection. That story is not wrong, but it may be incomplete. What if some of what we feel under our hands is a connective-tissue starting point people arrive with—one that shapes what they are good at, what injures them, and what they actually need from us? Heike Oellerich and Miriam Wessels, founders of FASZIO in Hamburg, Germany, join Til and Whitney to lay out the model they developed with Robert Schleip: fascial elves and fascial Vikings. As they describe it, elves are loose, fluid, and stretchable, and tend to lose stability quickly; Vikings are dense, powerful, and elastic, and tend to hold. The idea grew out of the two of them arguing for years about what the same exercise was doing in the body—until they concluded they were both right, about different bodies. Where it gets useful is the treatment room. In their account, releasing an elf who has nothing to fall back on can take a person apart; releasing everything on a Viking removes stability they are actively using; and stiffness under the hand does not automatically call for more pressure. They’re also candid about the limits: the evidence is thin, Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes sit off the scale rather than at its far end, and—as Miriam puts it—at the end, we don’t know anything. It stays what they say it is: a useful concept, not a diagnosis. ✨ We talk about: • Where the elf and Viking idea came from: two colleagues arguing for years about what one exercise does • What an elf is, what a Viking is, and why they frame it as a scale rather than two boxes • Why they traded Robert Schleip’s “temple dancer” for the elf—and...

179: Nerve Pain: Stop Blaming Compression (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Sep 16, 2026 55 min

🎙 Nerve Pain: Stop Blaming Compression (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) Ask almost any manual therapist what they learned about nerves in school, and you get some version of the same answer: not much. Most of us were handed the wiring model. A nerve is a cable, it carries a signal, and there are two ways it goes wrong — something presses on it, or something pulls on it. It's a tidy picture, it's most of what our field has run on for decades, and it leaves out nearly everything that makes a nerve a nerve. Whitney and Til go under the sheath. A peripheral nerve turns out to be a living organ with its own blood supply, its own nerve supply, a fascial architecture that mirrors muscle, and a slow river of axoplasm moving proteins the length of an axon that may run three feet from your sacrum to your big toe. Once you see it that way, the clinical picture changes: the first thing a little compression does isn't block a signal, it stalls venous return, and the chemistry that follows is a big part of what your client actually feels. They get practical about what that means on the table — why there's an argument for getting on nerve problems sooner rather than waiting and seeing, why tensioners make better tests than treatments, why freeing the neighborhood usually beats going after the nerve itself, and why nerves respond to whispers rather than shouting. Along the way: fat wallet syndrome, updated for the age of the back-pocket phone; a rat pulling a lever for food, and the gentle hands-on work that kept it from developing nerve fibrosis; an enzyme sequestered since fetal development that can cause excruciating back pain while leaking out of a disc injury that may barely show up on imaging; a young Whitney in an Atlanta medical bookstore, broke, deciding to spring for a blue book called Mobilisation of the Nervous System; and a likely explanation for why your client feels it downstream of the problem. ✨ We talk about: - Why nerves got so little airtime in our trainin...

178: Menopause, Pain, and Bodywork (with Ruth Werner)

Sep 2, 2026 30 min

🎙 Menopause, Pain, and Bodywork (with Ruth Werner) What if midlife achiness isn’t simply aging—and isn’t necessarily an injury that needs fixing? Menopause can affect far more than temperature. As hormones shift, sleep, mood, cognition, bone and cardiovascular health, pain, and tissue tolerance may all change. Yet most hands-on practitioners received little or no training about what this means for the people on their tables—or for practitioners going through menopause themselves. Pathology specialist Ruth Werner joins Til and Whitney to separate what we know from what we merely assume. They explore why hot flashes remain surprisingly mysterious, how declining estrogen may intersect with inflammation and musculoskeletal pain, and whether naming a “musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause” improves recognition or risks turning menopause into a catch-all explanation for midlife symptoms. Most importantly, they bring the conversation into the treatment room: adjusting expectations, avoiding unnecessary overwork, accounting for medications and longer-term health changes, and recognizing that listening and thoughtful support may be as valuable as anything we do with our hands. They also make room for menopause as more than loss or disruption—for many, it can be a passage into greater maturity, clarity, creativity, and freedom from others’ expectations. ✨ We talk about: • Why menopause is a normal transition, not a disease—and why its effects can still be profoundly disruptive • Perimenopause versus menopause, and why the transition can affect decades of a person’s life • What may be happening during a hot flash—and how much remains unknown • The difficult overlap between menopause, aging, pain, and injury • Estrogen’s possible roles in inflammation and musculoskeletal health • The promise and limitations of the term “musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause” • Practical session considerations: temperature, osteoporosis, cardiovascular health, medications, and tissue sensi...

177: Clinical Reasoning, or Clinical Improvisation? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Aug 19, 2026 58 min

🎙 Clinical Reasoning, or Clinical Improvisation? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) Every good protocol, recipe, or routine is designed to be outgrown. The trouble is that almost nobody tells you when. Protocols are how most of us learned: a sequence, a recipe, a named technique for a named condition. They reduce cognitive load when you’re new, they keep you and your client safe, and they let you know what to do next. And then, at some point, they start to get in the way — because real clients are complicated, and they rarely arrive looking like the textbook. Whitney and Til work through what they’re calling the protocol paradox: why structure is essential early on, why it has to loosen for real clinical skill to develop, and how to tell which side of that line you’re standing on. They get practical about it too — how to catch the moment a routine is running you instead of the other way around, what to do when the technique you were taught doesn’t work or makes things worse, and why every hunch and every thing you feel under your fingers counts as assessment data. Along the way: a young Rolfer told that moving arm work earlier in the series “speaks of hubris”; a Sufi sect that shook their left foot for generations because the founder had a sticky sandal; Ida Rolf’s cook-versus-chef distinction; Whitney and Til comparing notes on the difference between detective work and flower arranging; and how AI tutors might finally solve continuing education’s oldest problem — the 20-year-old new grad sitting next to the nurse with 20 years in. ✨ We talk about: • What protocols actually do for beginners — cognitive load, safety guardrails, and a sense of belonging • A practical test for whether you’ve outgrown one: habit, protocol, or an actual reason for this person? • What to do when the neck technique you learned doesn’t work — or causes a reaction • Assessment as an ongoing loop, not an intake ritual: “it’s all assessment” • Symptom chasing vs. detective work — and why th...

176: Becoming Friends with Movement (with Nuria Bowart)

Aug 5, 2026 1 hr 3 min

🎙 Becoming Friends with Movement (with Nuria Bowart) 📌 Save the date: early December 2026 in Boulder, Colorado — as a result of their discussion here, Til and Nuria are teaching a collaborative workshop for bodyworkers, hands-on and moving, both. Details to come at https://advanced-trainings.com Tell Nuria you’re “not really a mover” and she won’t argue. She’ll just say: maybe you’ve forgotten. Most of us learned to work on bodies that hold still. Nuria Bowart — dancer, movement artist, Certified Rolfer, and a Mestra in Capoeira — lives at the opposite pole, where the body is always moving, listening, and playing. Til sits down with her to explore a deceptively simple question: how can those of us who work with our hands become better friends with movement — not as one more thing we prescribe, but as listening, relationship, play, and a way of being more at home in ourselves? Along the way they get into Fascial Intelligence, the Axis Syllabus, Contact Improvisation, and Capoeira — and what each one teaches about touch, agency, aging, and befriending the unknown. ✨ We talk about: • Why “maybe you’ve just forgotten” is Nuria’s answer to anyone who doesn’t think of themselves as a mover • Fascia as a constellation of intelligences — and listening as the core point of access • What changes when we start with the body’s design and options, instead of fixing • What Contact Improvisation reveals about weight, gravity, and arriving together in the present moment • Capoeira as a healing art: play, risk, vulnerability, and responding creatively to danger • Aging as a “mystery school” — and movement as the micronutrient of longevity • A simple practice for the week: finding the moment you don’t know what to do, and staying there to listen ✨ Resources: • Nuria’s website: https://www.nuriabowart.com • Nuria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nuriabowart • Berkeley Capoeira Collective: https://berkeleycapoeira.com • The Field Center, Vermont • The Axis Syllabus: htt...

175: The Affection Question (with Kory Floyd)

Jul 22, 2026 55 min

🎙 The Affection Question (with Kory Floyd) How many of your clients come to you, week after week, not just for their shoulder or their low back — but because yours may be the one space in their life where they feel truly touched, attended to, and seen? Roughly 40% of people report not getting enough affection in their lives. And research suggests that for our older clients, that number is likely even higher. To explore what that means for our work, Til sits down with Dr. Kory Floyd — professor and chair of human development at Washington State University, and one of the world’s leading researchers on affection and human connection. He created Affection Exchange Theory, wrote The Loneliness Cure along with more than a dozen other books, and makes a striking case that affection isn’t a luxury or a nicety — it’s a biological need with measurable consequences for our health. Drawing on his own recent experiences of loss and loneliness, Til turns toward something that sits underneath almost everything we do as bodyworkers but that we rarely name out loud: the simple, profound human need to be touched, cared for, and connected to. ✨ We talk about: • Affection deprivation — the gap between the affection we need and what we actually receive, and why roughly 40% of people report not getting enough • Why age (not gender, education, or geography) is the strongest predictor — and what that means for our older clients • How deprivation erodes our sense of safety, fueling hypervigilance, poor sleep, and a weakened immune response • Why — to the body — professional touch and intimate touch aren’t so different, as long as it feels safe • What lives inside the therapeutic “boundary”: validation, normalizing, listening, attunement, and a felt sense of being seen • Transference, counter-transference, and the difference between "genuine" affection and what Kory calls being “affection-adjacent” • Being “touched out” — and why the giver of affection may benefit even more than the re...

174: How to Bend Time (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Jul 8, 2026 51 min

🎙 How to Bend Time (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe) There’s a moment in many good sessions when the clock stops mattering — breathing deepens, your hands settle, and time itself seems to change. Til recently wrote about this as “bending time,” and here he and Whitney explore it as a practical, therapeutic part of hands-on work. They get into how time perception is tied to body state, attention, and interoception; how the practitioner’s own state sets the tempo; and how to work slowly without losing focus, while still respecting the real limits of a 30-, 60-, or 90-minute session. ✨ Topics: • What that timeless shift feels like from the practitioner’s side • Why the practitioner often enters the state first — and how the client entrains to it • Timelessness vs. clock-watching: why it’s not the same as zoning out or falling asleep • Interoception, age, and “clock speed”: why our sense of duration is so elastic • Meeting clients at their rhythm before inviting a shift (follow, follow, lead) • Jan Sultan’s “most important move in Rolfing” — keeping the big-picture overview • Landing the plane: giving clients a heads-up to ease the transition out • Slow doesn’t mean vague: clearer attention, better timing, realistic plans • Presence and compassion as part of skill — and the people hardest to love • A this-week experiment: pause and feel your own body before you touch ✨ Resources: • Til Luchau, “Bending Time: The Therapeutic Power of Timelessness,” Massage & Bodywork magazine (Somatic Edge column) — https://www.abmp.com/massage-and-bodywork-magazine/issues/summer-2026/bending-time • Marc Wittmann, “The Inner Experience of Time,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (2009) • E. P. Thompson, “Time, Work-Discipline, and Industrial Capitalism,” Past & Present (1967) • Fantastic Voyage (1966) — the “miniature journey inside the body” film referenced in the episode 🌱 Sponsor Offers: • Jane – Try the Jane practice management app free for one month with code T...

172: Lateral Hip Pain: Stop Blaming the Bursa (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Jun 10, 2026 48 min

🎙 Lateral Hip Pain: Stop Blaming the Bursa (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau) Til and Whitney unpack why the old “trochanteric bursitis” diagnosis is almost always wrong—and what that means for your hands-on treatment. ✨ Topics discussed include: • The shift from bursitis to tendinopathy: only about 8% of lateral hip cases involve true bursitis; the majority are gluteus medius/minimus tendinopathies compressed under the IT band • Why women are affected at a 4:1 ratio—declining estrogen, wider pelvis geometry, and IT band bowstringing • Why direct deep pressure on the greater trochanter can backfire—neural sprouting, pain prediction, and the GPR83 pathway • Smarter treatment: targeting gluteus maximus and TFL to reduce IT band compression, rather than trying to “loosen” the band itself • Simple assessment tools: the 30-second single leg stance, the shoelace test, and the bilateral night pain pattern • Stretching caution: why aggressive IT band stretching increases the very compression you’re trying to relieve 🌱 Sponsor Offers: • Jane App — Practice management built for health and wellness practitioners. Thinking Practitioner listeners get a free first month; enter code THINKING1MO at checkout: https://a-t.tv/jane • Deep Roots Massage & Bodywork — Carefully crafted, small hands-on CE workshops in Keene, NH. Save 10% with code THINKING: https://deeprootsmb.com • ABMP — Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. Thinking Practitioner listeners save at https://www.abmp.com/thinking • Books of Discovery — Explore their collection at https://www.booksofdiscovery.com and save 15% with code THINKING • Advanced-Trainings — Try one month free of Til Luchau’s A-T Subscription with code THINKING: https://a-t.tv/subscriptions/ • Academy of Clinical Massage — Grab Whitney’s free Assessment Cheat Sheet: https://academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet ✨ Watch the video / connect with us: • Whitney Lowe – https://academyofclinicalmassage.com | https://facebook.com/WhitneyLowe...

171: The Most Skipped Step in Assessment and Why It Matters Most (with Whitney Lowe)

May 27, 2026 26 min

🎙 The Most Skipped Step in Assessment and Why It Matters Most What if the most important part of your assessment never involves touching your client? In this solo episode, Whitney dives deep into the client history — the most critical yet frequently overlooked component of manual therapy assessment. While many practitioners rush straight into orthopedic testing or treat only where it hurts, the subjective intake holds the primary keys to understanding why a client is in pain, not just where. Whitney walks through the OPQRST history-taking framework — a structured clinical checklist covering Onset, Provocation/Palliation, Quality, Referral/Radiation, Severity, and Timing. Along the way, he shares vivid clinical examples showing how tuning your ears and brain to a client’s story can dramatically refine your physical assessment, catch crucial red flags, and help you design safer, more targeted treatment plans. ✨ Topics discussed include: • The assessment illusion — why jumping straight to orthopedic tests or treating where it hurts undermines true clinical reasoning. • O is for Onset — distinguishing acute biomechanical tissue overloads (like sudden eccentric muscle strains) from chronic, nociplastic pain conditions driven by systemic inflammation or cumulative load. • P is for Provocation & Palliation — reading structural mechanical patterns, such as differentiating discogenic spine pain from facet-related pain and the “shopping cart sign.” • Q is for Quality — why you should let clients describe pain in their own words, and what neuropathic “electrical shocks” reveal versus deep, arthritic joint aches. • R is for Referral & Radiation — tracking diffuse trigger point patterns versus localized entrapments, plus a modern clinical look at lateral hip pain: bursitis versus abductor tendon compression. • S is for Severity & Functional Impact — shifting clinical focus from arbitrary 1–10 pain scales to objective functional indicators like sudden muscle inhibition or a j...

169: Exploring Anterior Neck Work (with Walt Fritz)

Apr 29, 2026 57 min

🎙 Exploring the Anterior Neck: (with Walt Fritz) Walt Fritz is a physical therapist who has been in practice since 1985 and has spent the last 30 years evolving from a traditional myofascial release (MFR) background into a collaborative, patient-led approach to manual therapy. He returns to The Thinking Practitioner to talk to Whitney about one of the most intimidating regions for manual therapists: the anterior neck. Walt shares his transition from the "clinician-as-expert" model to one rooted in shared decision-making, where the patient’s input on pressure, direction, and duration isn’t just welcomed—it’s the primary driver of the intervention. They discuss the "metatherapy" of the therapeutic relationship, the physiological realities of treating deep neck structures, and how to safely navigate the "danger triangle" of the throat to help patients with voice and swallowing disorders. ✨ Topics discussed include: Walt’s "Counter-Culture" Evolution: Moving from the myofascial release "rabbit hole" to a more generalized, neurocentric manual therapy model. The Clinician-as-Expert vs. Shared Decision-Making: Why we should stop pretending we know exactly what a patient is feeling. Metatherapy & Carl Rogers: How the relationship and context of the treatment can be as important (or more so) than the technique itself. Navigating the Anterior Neck: Understanding the anatomy of the "danger triangle," including the carotid sheath, jugular vein, and vagus nerve. Treatment for Voice and Swallowing: How manual therapy can assist with dysphagia (swallowing disorders) and globus pharyngeus (the sensation of a lump in the throat). The "Emergency Exit Strategy": Empowering patients with the ability to stop or modify treatment at any second to ensure safety and comfort. Platysma: The Forgotten Muscle: Why superficial structures deserve more love in our clinical assessments. The Problem with High-Force Interventions: A critique of aggressive MFR techniques and the importance...

168: Back Pain, Stiffness & Manual Therapy (with Stuart McGill) Listener Favorite

Apr 15, 2026 1 hr 4 min

🎙What if the key to resolving your client’s back pain isn’t loosening things up — but “adding” stiffness? Dr. Stuart McGill is one of the preeminent back pain researchers in the world, and in this conversation, he makes his case — passionately and controversially — for why biomechanical factors deserve far more attention than they typically get in back pain assessment and treatment. He argues that the label “nonspecific low back pain” masks what a skilled clinician could find with a thorough enough assessment, and that too many patients with real mechanical issues are being dismissed as psychosocial cases. Not everyone in the field agrees, but his perspective is fascinating, clinically detailed, and full of provocative ideas for manual therapists. This episode originally aired as episode 97 and quickly became one of our most popular — a listener favorite we’re bringing back for those who missed it and those who are ready for a second listen. ✨ Topics covered in this episode include: • Why Dr. McGill believes “nonspecific low back pain” doesn’t exist — and how he argues it undermines both research validity and clinical outcomes • The problem with averaging results across non-homogeneous groups in back pain studies • How a thorough assessment can reveal specific pain pathways — and McGill’s case for why a psychosocial diagnosis is too often a default when clinicians run out of ideas • Vivid clinical stories: a patient with a double pinch point, and the precise maneuver that resolved his symptoms • Why some patients need more stiffness, not less — and the “paradigm clash” this creates for manual therapists trained to mobilize and loosen • The prone instability test and other hands-on experiments for distinguishing when to stabilize versus mobilize • Dynamic video fluoroscopy of whiplash patients: the mid-range “clunk” that correlated with their symptoms • Fascial connections and trauma: how a physically traumatic event can produce bizarre-seeming symptoms that are...

167: Cupping & the Nervous System (with Joi Edwards)

Apr 1, 2026 49 min

🎙Dr. Joi Edwards is a physical therapist with nearly 20 years of experience specializing in orthopedic injuries and a licensed massage therapist who bridges the gap between clinical assessment and intuitive soft-tissue work. She joins Whitney on The Thinking Practitioner to dive deep into the world of cupping therapy—exploring the physiological mechanisms, the various types of tools, and why this ancient modality is about much more than just leaving red marks on the skin. Joi’s fascination with cupping began in the clinic when she discovered the modality "pre-Michael Phelps" and noticed an immediate 15-degree increase in her own shoulder's range of motion after experimenting with the cups. Her journey was further shaped by international patients who shared how their families had used cupping for generations to treat everything from systemic colds to localized chronic pain. This episode is an exploration of how decompression—rather than the compression typically associated with massage—can restore tissue mechanics and stimulate a nervous system response that even the most skilled manual techniques sometimes can't replicate. ✨ Topics discussed include: Whitney and Joi walk through the different categories of cupping, the science of tissue decompression, and how to safely integrate cups into a clinical practice. Joi's transition from physical therapy to massage therapy—and why she felt compelled to integrate the two. The history of cupping: from hollowed-out animal horns used for "snake bites" to modern medical-grade silicone. Wet cupping (Hijama) vs. Dry cupping: understanding the scope of practice and the cultural significance of bloodletting. The physics of the "Pinch Grip" and "Donut Drop": how different application methods change the treatment. Decompression vs. Compression: how cups create space in the soft tissue to allow for better "glide and slide". What's in a circle? Capillary dilation and interstitial seepage vs. the misconception of traumatic bruisin...

166: Does Research Support What We Do? (with Bodhi Haraldsson)

Mar 18, 2026 48 min

🎙 Does Massage Research Actually Work? (with Bodhi Haraldsson) Bodhi Haraldsson is a registered massage therapist, researcher, and self-described “pracademic” who has spent over 25 years bridging the gap between clinical practice and scientific inquiry. He joins Whitney on The Thinking Practitioner to talk about one of the most important — and most misunderstood — questions in our profession: what does the research actually tell us about massage therapy? Bodhi’s journey into research began at McMaster University — the birthplace of evidence-based practice — where he joined the Cochrane Cervical Overview Group and helped author a landmark systematic review on massage for mechanical neck disorders. That review, first published in 2006 and later in Spine, analyzed thousands of studies down to just 14 qualifying trials — and found that most of the evidence was limited or unclear. Nearly 20 years later, a 2024 update reached essentially the same conclusions. But this isn’t a discouraging story. It’s a call to understand what research can and can’t tell us — and why that matters for every practitioner. Bodhi and Whitney explore why absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, why no single study can capture the complexity of clinical practice, and how evidence-based practice isn’t about recipes or checklists — it’s about better understanding what we do and why. ✨ Topics discussed include: Whitney and Bodhi walk through the Cochrane review process, the state of massage research, and what individual practitioners can take away from the evidence conversation. • What a “pracademic” is — and why massage needs more of them • How the Cochrane Cervical Overview Group conducted its systematic review of massage for neck pain • Starting with thousands of studies and ending with 14 qualifying trials — and why • Levels of evidence: from strong to limited to unclear • Why the 2024 update reached essentially the same conclusions as the 2006 original • The research gap: why mass...

165: Multi-State Massage License: Coming Soon? (with Debra Persinger)

Mar 4, 2026 41 min

🎙 The Interstate Massage Compact (with Deborah Persinger) Deborah Persinger is the Executive Director of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), and she joins Whitney on The Thinking Practitioner to break down one of the most significant regulatory developments in our profession’s history: the Interstate Massage Compact. If you’ve ever moved to a new state and had to navigate a whole new set of licensing requirements — or if you live near a state border and can’t legally work on the other side — this episode is for you. The compact would create a multi-state license allowing eligible massage therapists to practice across state lines without meeting separate requirements in each state. It’s already been adopted by five states, with two more needed to stand up the commission and make the license a reality. But there’s more at stake than portability. Deborah explains how the compact was carefully designed to address human trafficking in the massage profession — a daily reality for regulatory boards — and why the details of how the compact is written matter enormously for keeping bad actors out while making life easier for legitimate practitioners. ✨ Topics discussed include: Whitney and Deborah walk through the compact’s origins, the 625-hour education standard, the role of the Department of Defense, and the current obstacles to getting it across the finish line. • What the Interstate Massage Compact is — and how multi-state licensing works • The 625-hour education standard: where it came from and why it was chosen • Home state vs. remote state — how the compact defines where you practice • Why the Department of Defense supports the compact (military family portability) • The five states that have adopted so far: Nevada, Ohio, Arkansas, Virginia, and Montana • Human trafficking provisions unique to the massage compact • The national massage therapy licensing database and its role in tracking bad actors • Over 20,000 illicit massage businesses in t...

164: Dizziness Roundtable (with Ruth Werner, Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Feb 18, 2026 57 min

🎙 Dizziness Roundtable (with Ruth Werner) Ruth Werner returns to The Thinking Practitioner for a roundtable discussion with Til and Whitney on one of the most overlooked topics in manual therapy: balance challenges. Ruth is the author of A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology (now in its 7th edition), a long-time educator, and host of the podcast I Have a Client Who. In this wide-ranging conversation with Til and Whitney, Ruth brings her characteristic clarity to a complex subject — helping us understand what’s really happening when clients feel dizzy, wobbly, or unsteady. Balance difficulties show up constantly in clinical practice, yet most of us never learned how to think about them. Clients get dizzy turning over on the table. They feel lightheaded sitting up from prone. They mention casually that they’re “always a little unsteady” after sessions — and we realize we’ve never asked the right questions. This episode gives MTs a framework for understanding, responding to, and even helping with balance challenges — while knowing when to refer out. ✨ Topics discussed include: Ruth, Til, and Whitney unpack the sensory triad behind balance (vision, proprioception, and the vestibular system), explore common conditions like BPPV and POTS, and discuss what the research actually shows about massage and balance — including some encouraging findings about foot work and gait in older adults. • What we really mean by “balance” — and why Ruth finds the word frustratingly vague • The difference between vertigo (spinning) and dizziness (lightheadedness) • Why position changes on the table can trigger symptoms — and what to do about it • BPPV, the Epley maneuver, and “rocks in our head” (otoliths) • POTS, blood pressure medications, and the challenge of sitting up • Hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and their links to balance issues • Red flags: progressive changes, asymmetry, and when to refer • Research on massage, foot work, and balance in older adults • Why there’s...

163: A Master in Plain Sight (with Art Riggs)

Feb 4, 2026 39 min

🎙 A Master in Plain Sight (with Art Riggs) Art Riggs is a Certified Advanced Rolfer™, massage therapist, and creator of some of the most influential instructional video courses in our field. His recordings were among the first truly comprehensive video trainings available to bodyworkers. Decades later, practitioners still return to them again and again, finding new insights each time. They age well because they’re packed with technique, yet grounded in principles that never go out of style. Here’s the paradox of Art’s work: he shares a staggering wealth of techniques, yet what he emphasizes most isn’t technique at all. It’s listening, allowing, and refining your touch. “Deep tissue,” he explains, isn’t about pressing harder. It’s a conversation with the body, where pressure is just one word in the vocabulary. At 80, and still seeing clients most days, Art brings warmth and infectious enthusiasm to everything he discusses. He’s humble about his contributions, generous with credit to his teachers, and genuinely delighted by the craft he’s practiced for decades. This conversation is a joy from start to finish. ✨Topics discussed include: Whether you’re early in your career or decades in, this episode is a masterclass in how to think with your hands. • Why Art chose “deep tissue massage” over a proprietary name — and why that made his work more accessible • The difference between deep tissue and “pressing harder” • Touch as communication: pressure, speed, angle, and reading the body’s response • “Refine your touch” — the three words that changed everything • Allowing vs. forcing: offering something for people to take • Why his first video set covers techniques while his second shows integration into a fluid, full session • The limits of online learning — and why hands-on classes and receiving work still matter • The overlap (and differences) between massage therapy and Rolfing® — and what each can learn from the other • Movement, getting clients off the table, and w...

162: AI in Massage: Thinking Partner, Threat, or Crutch? (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Jan 21, 2026 49 min

🎙 AI in Massage: Thinking Partner, Threat, or Crutch? Is artificial intelligence coming for your massage practice? Not the way you might think. In this episode, Til and Whitney dive into the rapidly evolving world of AI — exploring where it genuinely helps manual therapists, where it falls short, and why the human elements of touch, presence, and clinical reasoning remain irreplaceable. From AI-generated anatomical images with mysterious octopus tentacles to "massage robots" that feel like being rubbed by a cow, they share their own experiences with these tools and separate the hype from the helpful. Whitney unveils his Clinical Massage Coach — a custom AI tool trained on curated clinical knowledge that engages practitioners in Socratic dialogue rather than just spitting out answers. The key insight: AI works best not when it replaces thinking, but when it prompts better thinking. ✨ Topics covered: • How AI is already quietly influencing bodywork education and practice • The "hallucination" problem — why AI sounds confident even when it's wrong • Will massage robots take your job? (Spoiler: the client-therapist relationship isn't going anywhere) • Personalized learning: the "holy grail" of education that AI might help unlock • The de-skilling danger: when easy tools erode hard-won skills • Using AI as a reasoning partner vs. a script generator • Whitney's Clinical Massage Coach: SOAP notes, treatment planning, and Socratic questioning • Ethical considerations: energy consumption, bias, and the "human in the loop" ✨ Resources • Whitney's Clinical Massage Coach (CMC) Ever wish you could have a clinical expert on call 24/7? The CMC is an AI-powered assistant trained on over three decades of Whitney Lowe's textbooks and articles as well as hundreds of peer-reviewed resources. As a core feature of our Orthopedic Medical Massage Specialist (OMMS) program, it's designed to help you navigate complex clinical questions with science-based precision. Explore the CMC here...

161: Science, Skepticism, & Keeping Heart (with Paul Ingraham)

Jan 7, 2026 57 min

🎙 Science, Skepticism, & Keeping Heart (with Paul Ingraham) What happens when a former massage therapist turns a skeptical eye on his own profession and starts asking uncomfortable questions about pain science and manual therapy? You get Paul Ingraham of PainScience.com — a writer whose work has challenged, irritated, and influenced practitioners in equal measure. In this episode, Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe sit down with Paul to explore how clinicians can think clearly in a field crowded with confident claims, competing models, and stories that feel true even when the evidence is thin. The conversation doesn’t shy away from friction. Paul is known for his sharp critiques of manual therapy’s favorite explanations, and many practitioners bristle at his tone. Here, we examine both the substance of his skepticism and the costs that can come with it. Together, they explore questions many therapists wrestle with, often quietly: How do we tell the difference between what helps clients and the stories we tell ourselves about why it helped? When does confidence in a method turn into intellectual blinders? And how can practitioners stay curious and effective without clinging to explanations that may not hold up? In this episode, they discuss: Paul’s move from massage therapist to science writer — and the unresolved questions that pushed him there “Modality empires” and why techniques so easily become identities The challenge of separating your identity from your methodology — and why it matters Confirmation bias in clinical practice: how we see what we expect to see and miss contradictory evidence Placebo, context, and why they complicate claims about mechanisms in manual therapy Paul’s critique of “structuralism” — the exclusive focus on alignment, posture, and movement dysfunction How to think about biomechanical explanations without falling into reductionist storytelling Why connecting dots between distant body parts (like foot problems causing back pain) can slip fr...

160: 5 Years & Half a Million Downloads: Your Favorite Episodes & Ours (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Dec 24, 2025 41 min

🎙 5 Years of The Thinking Practitioner: Our Favorites & Top 5 Most Popular Episodes It's been 5 years since we launched The Thinking Practitioner — with over half a million downloads and 130,000 unique listeners along the way. In this special retrospective episode, Til and Whitney look back at personal favorites that shaped their own thinking, then count down the top 5 most-listened episodes of all time. What stands out? A clear shift from tissue-focused to nervous-system-first thinking. Ideas about consent, context, and the client experience that once felt radical now feel like common sense. And the conversations that resonated most? They're about fascia, trauma, pain, and the practitioners brave enough to challenge what we think we know. 🎧 Episodes discussed (in order of appearance): Personal favorites: - Ep 140: Embodied Attention & Contact Improvisation (Nita Little) - Ep 23: Do Expectations Shape Results? (Mark Bishop) - Ep 80: What We Might Learn From Sex (Betty Martin) - Ep 144: Movement Optimism (Greg Lehman) - Ep 130: The Body of Grief (Jun Park) - Ep 146: Inflammation, Touch & the Grieving Body (Mary-Francis O'Connor) - Ep 135: The Neuroscience of Bodywork (Mark Olson) Top 5 most popular of all time: 5. Ep 108: Trauma & Bodywork (Peter Levine) 4. Ep 79: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, Fascia, and Pain (Tina Wang) 3. Ep 45: Fascia in Sport & Movement (Robert Schleip) 2. Ep 69: Back Pain, Stiffness & Fascia (Stuart McGill) 1. Ep 126: Fascia: A Deep Dive (Dr. Antonio Stecco) ✨ Watch the video / connect with us: - Til Luchau: https://advanced-trainings.com | https://facebook.com/advancedtrainings | https://instagram.com/til.luchau - Whitney Lowe: https://academyofclinicalmassage.com | https://facebook.com/WhitneyLowe | https://twitter.com/whitneylowe Sponsor Offers: - Books of Discovery – Save 15% with code thinking at https://booksofdiscovery.com/ - ABMP – Save $24 on new membership at https://abmp.com/thinking - Advanced-Trainings – Try one month free of...

159: Can You Really Palpate the Psoas? (with Christopher DaPrato)

Dec 10, 2025 30 min

🎙 Can You Really Palpate the Psoas? MRI Evidence, Clinical Debate & a Bonus Visit from the Researcher Can manual therapists actually palpate the psoas, or is it anatomically out of reach? In this episode, Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe unpack a new real-time MRI pilot study presented at the 7th International Fascia Research Congress by UCSF physical therapist Christopher DaPrato and colleagues. The study offers rare imaging-based insight into what really happens when we try to touch this deep, controversial muscle. And at the end, Christopher drops in for a brief bonus segment to share safety insights and his hopes for future research. The debate around psoas palpation has become a kind of proxy war in manual therapy — between pain-science and movement educators who question highly specific anatomical claims, and hands-on practitioners who have used psoas work for decades and find it clinically meaningful. This conversation explores how DaPrato’s imaging helps reframe that debate. In this episode, they discuss: - Why psoas palpation has become a flashpoint debate and a stand-in for deeper philosophical disagreements in the field - How DaPrato’s team used dynamic MRI to observe what happens under the hands during attempted psoas palpation - What the images showed about depth, tissue layers, and muscle deformation when pressure is applied - The surprising finding that even a higher-BMI participant showed clear psoas shape change under palpation - How viscera behaved under pressure — including what the study suggests about visceral compression and safety - Clinical implications for angle, depth, and pressure when working in the anterior hip/abdominal region - The role of tools like the PSO-RITE compared with hand palpation, and what may (or may not) be interchangeable - How this research interacts with the idea of “palpatory pareidolia” (imagining specificity that isn’t there) - What this study does — and doesn’t — say about treatment effectiveness and future research...

158: Is Your Work Valuable? (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Nov 26, 2025 48 min

🎙 Is Your Work Valuable? The Psychology of Perceived Value in Hands-On Practice What makes clients value your work — and come back for more? Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe explore the results of a survey of over 2,000 practitioners to uncover the surprising psychology behind perceived value. Spoiler: it's not just about results or price. Value is created in a reciprocal feedback loop between practitioner and client — shaped by confidence, preparation, communication, boundaries, and dozens of subtle signals clients pick up (consciously or not). In this episode, they discuss: - The "chicken-and-egg" relationship between value perception and client outcomes - The famous "expensive pain pill" study and what it reveals about perceived value - How discount addiction undermines both value and client loyalty - The 9 ways to communicate value — from linens and punctuality to CE certificates and testimonials - Why going over time can actually diminish perceived value - How asking clients to invest effort (goals, homework, participation) raises their commitment - The importance of receiving the work you give — and what the survey showed - The surprising correlation between in-person CE hours and practice satisfaction - The confidence paradox: does success breed confidence, or does confidence breed success? - Practical tips: where to start if you want to shift value perception tomorrow Whether you're building a practice, thinking about pricing, or wondering why some clients don't seem to "get it," this conversation offers a roadmap for communicating value from the inside out. ✨ Resources 👉 Read the full article: Is Your Work Valuable? https://a-t.tv/articles/luchau_valuable_mbw_20180427.pdf 👉 Video version: https://www.youtube.com/@AdvancedTrainings/podcasts Sponsor Offers: - Books of Discovery – Save 15% with code thinking at https://booksofdiscovery.com/ - ABMP – Save $24 on new membership at https://abmp.com/thinking - Advanced-Trainings – Try one month free of the...

157: What Happens When the Body Lets Go? (with Werner Klingler)

Nov 12, 2025 1 hr 7 min

🎙 What Happens When the Body Lets Go? Werner Klingler on Anesthesia, Altered States & the Physiology of Relaxation What actually happens when the body "lets go" — in anesthesia, trance, or the deep relaxation familiar to hands-on practitioners? Til Luchau talks with Professor Werner Klingler, anesthesiologist, physiologist, and fascia researcher at Ulm University (Germany), whose work bridges clinical anesthesia, neuroscience, and connective-tissue research. Drawing on decades of operating room experience, Dr. Klingler explains how different parts of the brain disconnect and re-synchronize during altered states, why the "freeze reflex" comes first, and how fascia's responsiveness makes it a living sensory organ rather than inert tissue. Fair warning: Werner gets wonderfully detailed about physiology — but stick with it, because he drops some genuine gems about autonomic "push-ups," why tears cleanse neurotransmitters, and what happens when children wake from anesthesia with wide-open pupils. In this episode, they discuss: - The "octopus model" of consciousness — why "altered state" is too simple - The three pillars of anesthesia: unconsciousness, analgesia, and muscle relaxation - How breathing and CO₂ levels influence pH, drug effectiveness, and tissue tone - Why warmth matters: how temperature shifts the load between muscle and connective tissue - What "autonomic push-ups" teach us about resilience and cyclic training - The freeze-then-flight reflex pattern and how it shows up under anesthesia - How emotion and perception shift as anesthesia fades — and why some people wake up sad - Whether sensation is required for bodywork to be effective (spoiler: tissue effects happen either way) - Pre- and post-operative care: what bodyworkers can offer surgery patients - Why fascia is alive — restructuring, remodeling, and central to our sensory and autonomic systems - The FRECLS project: how practitioners can contribute to international fascia research Whether you're cu...

156: Lessons from 50 Years (with Benny Vaughn)

Oct 29, 2025 54 min

🎙 Celebrating 50 Years of Massage: Benny Vaughn’s Legacy of Professionalism, Perseverance & Touch Whitney Lowe sits down with legendary massage therapist Benny Vaughn to celebrate his 50 years in the massage and bodywork profession — a career that helped shape modern sports massage, elevate professional standards, and open doors for generations of practitioners. From his early years breaking racial barriers in sports medicine to his pioneering integration of massage into collegiate and professional athletics, Benny shares powerful stories of courage, mentorship, and the mindset that turns adversity into purpose. In this conversation, they explore: • Benny’s beginnings in track & field and how that led him to massage in 1975 • Integrating massage into university and professional sports programs — and how it changed the field • Overcoming racial and cultural barriers in the Deep South of the 1970s • The essential mindset shift for success in massage practice • Why mentorship matters — and how to approach a mentor with respect • What Benny hopes the next 50 years of massage will bring This inspiring retrospective honors one of massage therapy’s most influential pioneers — a practitioner who continues to teach, mentor, and elevate the profession every day. ✨ Learn more about Benny Vaughn: 👉 https://bennyvaughnlifecoach.com/ ✨ Watch this episode on YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@AdvancedTrainings/podcasts 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 A-T Subscription free by entering “thinking” at checkout at a-t.tv/subscriptions/. • Academy of Clinical Massage: Grab Whitney’s free Assessment Cheat Sheet at academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet. • Til’s 2026 Thailand Retreat: use code “thinking” for $100 off Finding Balance in an Out-of-Balance World at a-t.tv/thailand-retreat-2026/. ✨ Connect wit...

155: The Value of Disgust: What Our Bodies Tell Us About Boundaries & Connection (with Todd Hargrove)

Oct 15, 2025 41 min

🎙A better understanding of the very human emotion of disgust can help us navigate boundaries, empathy, and connection in our hands-on work—and in the wider world. This week, Til welcomes back Todd Hargrove—Certified Rolfer™, movement educator, and author of A Guide to Better Movement and Playing With Movement. Together they explore one of the most primal, and often least examined, human emotions: disgust. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, and his years of practice, Todd unpacks disgust as part of our behavioral immune system—a mechanism designed to keep us safe from harm that also influences our moral judgments, client relationships, and social divisions. In this conversation, they explore: • How disgust shows up physiologically and emotionally in practitioners and clients • The difference between protective instinct and unconscious bias • When disgust serves as a moral compass, and when it drives prejudice or separation • Practical ways to notice and work with disgust as a signal rather than a verdict • How turning aversion into curiosity can deepen empathy and compassion in practice At its heart, this dialogue invites practitioners to see disgust not as something to suppress or be ashamed of, but as a doorway into greater awareness, boundaries, and connection. ✨ Read Todd’s original article on disgust: 👉 https://toddhargrove.substack.com/p/disgust ✨ Learn more about Todd’s books and writing: 👉 https://www.bettermovement.org/books ✨ Watch this episode on YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@AdvancedTrainings/podcasts Sponsor Offers: • Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on https://booksofdiscovery.com/. • ABMP: save $24 on new membership at https://www.abmp.com/thinking. • Advanced-Trainings: try a month of the amazing A-T Subscription free by entering “thinking” at checkout at http://a-t.tv/subscriptions/,. • Academy of Clinical Massage: Grab Whitney's valuable Assessment Cheat Sheet for free at: https://ww...

154: Sacroiliac Joints: The Next Level (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe) Listener Favorite!

Oct 1, 2025 1 hr 3 min

🎙Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe go deep into the sacroiliac (SI) joints in this listener-favorite rebroadcast of Episode 74, where they unpack anatomy, mechanics, assessment controversies, and treatment strategies. From the relationship between pain, stability, and mobility, to ligamentous support, gait mechanics, and the limits of positional models, they offer both clinical clarity and practical takeaways. Along the way, they share road stories, podcast crossovers, and resources for further learning. 🎧 Listen in for evidence-based insights, hands-on strategies, and nuanced discussion that balances analytical precision with experiential wisdom. 👉Thailand Retreat 2026 Join Til and friends for Finding Balance, an immersive bodywork and movement retreat at a floating retreat center in Thailand. Learn more → https://a-t.tv/thailand-retreat-2026/ 🔍Key Points by Time Code: 00:00 – Sponsor, catch-up & travel stories; 2022 Fascia Research Congress 03:13 – Today’s focus: sacroiliac joints; Whitney’s Massage & Bodywork article on SI dysfunction 03:53 – Til’s Ilia/SI online course announcement (now available on demand) 04:50 – Podcast review shout-out: Hands at the Table reviews Til’s course 06:11 – Anatomy tour: interlocking joint surfaces, nociceptors, ligament overview 08:30 – Weight transfer & keystone analogy; iliolumbar, sacrotuberous, sacrospinous ligaments 13:53 – Pain mechanisms: “culprit or victim?” framing 15:00 – Motion at the SI joint: small ROM, often misunderstood 18:01 – Nutation vs. counternutation explained; clinical relevance 24:50 – Assessment: why provocation tests (Laslett cluster) matter more than positional diagnosis 28:58 – Treatment approaches: working with sensitivity, remote-site effects, neural target zones 30:22 – Clinical reasoning: differentiating nerve tension vs. ligament vs. joint capsule 33:20 – Complexity of models vs. simplicity of sensation-first approaches 37:14 – Hypermobility paradox: Ehlers-Danlos and individualized...

153: Conversations from the 7th Fascial Research Congress (with Robert Schleip, Gil Hedley, & more)

Sep 17, 2025 44 min

🎙In this special episode recorded live at the 7th International Fascial Research Congress in New Orleans, Til Luchau gathers conversations with leading researchers, educators, and practitioners from around the world. From collagen synthesis breakthroughs to fascia typologies, scar tissue management, mental imagery, and integrative perspectives on touch and movement, this episode captures the excitement and connections at the forefront of fascia research. 🔍Interviews by Time Code: •01:04 — Robert Schleip: Conference spirit, collagen synthesis, ultrasound, and vagus–immune connections •10:01 — Cathy Ryan: Scar tissue management, bridging research and practice, teaching with Healwell & Advanced-Trainings.com •13:45 — Gavin Ruiz: A first-time attendee’s perspective, tendon insights, and applying research as a young therapist •15:42 — Eric Franklin: The Franklin Method, mental imagery, body schema, and the role of touch •21:39 — Sneha Krishna: Making fascia science more accessible, teaching biomechanics, and global connective insights •25:53 — Miriam Wessels & Heike Oellerich: The “fascia code,” Viking vs. Elf body types, treatment implications, and emotional dimensions •37:16 — Gil Hedley: People, embodiment, anatomy as metaphor, and uniting spirituality with embodiment 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 Til’s upcoming retreat, Finding Balance in an Out-of-Balance World, happening March 2026 in Thailand. Use code “thinking” for $100 off: https://a-t.tv/thailand-retreat-2026/ 💡 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts with us! info@thethinkingpractitioner.com ✨ Rate, review, a...

152. Does Pressure Matter? What the Research Says (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Sep 3, 2025 36 min

🎙In this intriguing episode, Til and Whitney dig into a recent study that tested the effects of pressure in myofascial release—comparing a traditional pressure-based technique with a light-touch "sham" version. The study measured changes in pain sensitivity, neck mobility, and proprioception. What did the study find? And what can that teach us about technique, touch, and the therapeutic encounter? Join us as we unpack the design, outcomes, and broader implications of this fascinating study—and reflect on what really makes manual therapy effective. 🔍 Key Topics: 00:47 - Study Introduction - Exploring immediate effects of suboccipital myofascial release on pain thresholds, range of motion, and proprioception 04:38 - Research Design - Comparing pressure-based technique vs. "sham" light touch treatment in 30 healthy adults 08:45 - Sham Treatment Challenges - Why creating control groups is particularly difficult in manual therapy research 12:18 - Measurement Methods - Pain pressure threshold, cervical range of motion, and proprioception repositioning tests 14:58 - Surprising Results - Both pressure and light touch groups showed similar improvements with no statistical difference 18:14 - Contextual Effects - Everything beyond technique that influences outcomes: environment, expectations, touch quality, practitioner skill 19:44 - Technique vs. Context Debate - Does this prove technique doesn't matter, or highlight the importance of how we deliver treatment? 26:16 - Anatomical Considerations - Suboccipital muscles, proprioceptors, and precision-oriented treatment approaches 30:00 - Research Limitations - Small sample size, no follow-up, immediate effects only, practitioner experience factors 34:12 - Clinical Takeaways - The "magic" of touch and importance of human connection in therapeutic outcomes 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. Advanc...

151: Finding Balance in an Out-of-Balance World (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Aug 20, 2025 55 min

🎙What does it mean to find balance—when the world around us feels anything but balanced? Til and Whitney explore the many meanings of “balance,” from physical coordination and structural asymmetry to emotional regulation, interoception, and life rhythm. Drawing on neuroscience, somatics, and their own experience as bodyworkers, they reflect on how balance isn’t a fixed point—but a dynamic process of continual adaptation. Whether you’re a practitioner looking to stay grounded in caregiving roles, or just navigating modern overwhelm, this episode offers practical insights and embodied metaphors to help you stay centered. ✨ Inspired by Til’s upcoming retreat, Finding Balance in an Out-of-Balance World, happening March 2026 in Thailand. Sign up now with a $350 deposit, and use code “thinking” for $100: https://a-t.tv/thailand-retreat-2026/ 🔍 Key Topics: •00:00 – What “balance” means in the body and beyond •04:20 – Balance as movement, not stillness •08:00 – Vestibular systems and the emotional brain (Hitier et al., 2014) •12:15 – Why imbalance is fertile ground for growth (Kelso & Engström, 2006) •15:30 – The body as metaphor for internal regulation •18:05 – Interoception as a compass for emotional balance (Mehling et al., 2012) •22:40 – Is symmetry the goal—or functional asymmetry? •26:50 – Giving and receiving: how practitioners stay balanced •31:00 – Tech vs. touch: what really heals? •34:20 – Work/life balance and showing up for clients •37:10 – Micro-practices: balance in everyday moments •40:30 – Retreat as a reset: what stepping away reveals •44:15 – Closing reflections + details about the Thailand retreat 📚 Resources Mentioned in This Episode •Hitier, M., Besnard, S., & Smith, P. F. (2014). Vestibular pathways involved in cognition. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 8, 59. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2014.00059 •Slomo – A short documentary about Dr. John Kitchin’s journey toward balance and meaning. https://vimeo.com/channels/5pointpicks/90655...

150: Listener Favorite: Fascia, Fitness, and Feeling (with Robert Schleip)

Aug 6, 2025 1 hr 10 min

Rebroadcast: One of our most popular episodes (Ep 45), shared again in honor of the upcoming Fascia Research Congress. 🎙In this lively and far-reaching conversation, fascia researcher and manual therapy pioneer Robert Schleip returns to talk with Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe about the newly expanded second edition of Fascia in Sport and Movement. They explore what’s new in fascia science, how manual therapy and movement are evolving, and how fascia functions as a sensory and fluid-regulating organ. Along the way, Schleip shares stories, research, and a few surprises. 🔍 Key Topics: •0:00 — Til’s choice to publish with Handspring (and Robert’s role in that decision) •2:02 — Introducing Robert Schleip: Rolfing, Feldenkrais, and fascia science •5:46 — Relevance of Fascia in Sport and Movement for manual therapists •8:36 — From bodywork to movement: integrating motor learning and fascia fitness •12:47 — Fascia fitness origins and the shift toward bounce, play, and variety •18:15 — Fascia as a sensory organ: 250 million sensory nerve endings •22:10 — Surprising differences in innervation between skin and fascia •26:58 — Free nerve endings, pain perception, and autonomic connections •29:41 — Sympathetic regulation and its role in fluid dynamics and recovery •35:25 — Balancing sympathetic and parasympathetic input through varied movement •40:18 — Resilience, trauma, and adaptation (with nods to Porges and Levine) •45:19 — Can we really change fascia? Revisiting IT bands and foam rolling •50:34 — Hyaluronan, hydration, and viscosity: another mechanism for change •57:36 — A story of facial nerve recovery, social engagement, and baby therapy •1:01:31 — Touching water: fascia, sponginess, and inspiring clients to move •1:06:54 — Elegant stair dancing and everyday movement integration •1:10:30 — Resources, shoutouts, and where to learn more from Robert 📚 Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: Fascia in Sport & Movement at Handspring (Get 15% off with coupon code TTP) ...

149: Bodywork through the Polyvagal Lens (with Stephen Porges)

Jul 23, 2025 1 hr 5 min

🎙In this episode, Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe speak with renowned neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Porges, originator of Polyvagal Theory. Together, they explore how our nervous systems respond to cues of safety, how touch can support regulation and connection, and what all this means for bodyworkers and manual therapists. Dr. Porges shares the latest thinking on co-regulation, trauma, attunement, and the science of feeling safe—along with practical insights for practitioners working with the body. 🔍 Key Topics: 00:00 – 02:00 Intro, ABMP welcome & framing the Polyvagal lens for bodyworkers 02:00 – 07:00 Early research with Peter Levine and John Cottingham: how structural shifts (pelvic tilt, fascia work) alter autonomic regulation 07:00 – 12:00 Evolutionary foundations: fascia types, diaphragm function, and the hierarchy of autonomic response 12:00 – 17:00 Facial expressivity, voice prosody, and breathing as channels of co‑regulation 17:00 – 22:00 Identifying autonomic states (“tightly wrapped” bodies) and choosing when—not just where—to touch 22:00 – 27:00 The Body Perception Questionnaire: a tool for mapping clients’ interoceptive awareness 27:00 – 32:00 Trauma, autonomic reactivity, and parsing traumatic events vs. responses 32:00 – 37:00 The Safe and Sound Protocol: acoustic interventions for nervous system safety 37:00 – 42:00 Vagal “hacking” misconceptions: why rhythm and safety signals matter more than stimulation 42:00 – 47:00 Feedback loops: tissue ↔ nervous system ↔ fascia → chronic pain 47:00 – 52:00 Therapist intuition: physiological co‑regulation, broadcasting accessibility, therapist self‑state 52:00 – 57:00 Finding safety in a chaotic world: why therapists need safe colleagues and co‑regulation too 57:00 – 60:00+ New resources: Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety, the Norton-edited somatic therapies volume, Safe & Sound Protocol book, Our Polyvagal World 📚 Resources Mentioned in This Episode • Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety Stephen W. Porg...

148: The Vagus Nerve: Buzzword or Biology? (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Jul 9, 2025 54 min

🎙From “vagal push-ups” to inflammation to trauma healing, the vagus nerve is everywhere in bodywork and wellness talk—but what does the science actually say? And more importantly, what does this mean in actual practice? In this episode, Til and Whitney take a grounded, myth-busting look at the vagus nerve’s role in health, relaxation, and hands-on practice. They explore what we can clearly influence through bodywork, what’s misunderstood, and how to work with and think about this vital nerve in our hands-on practices. 🔍 Key Topics: 0:01:50 Introduction to the vagus nerve 0:02:07 Early experiences learning about the vagus nerve 0:03:40 Chair massage and vagal responses 0:03:40 EMT training and vagal response demonstrations 0:04:03 Early research on heart rate variability 0:05:23 Steven Porges and polyvagal theory origins 0:05:46 Anatomical overview of the vagus nerve 0:06:15 Nerve pathways and innervation 0:08:44 Branches to the ear and other body parts 0:08:44 Ventral and dorsal vagus nerve divisions 0:10:01 Parasympathetic nervous system explanation 0:11:11 Evolutionary perspectives on vagal function 0:12:44 Vagal tone and heart rate variability 0:14:38 Mechanisms of heart rate regulation 0:15:04 Breathing and its impact on vagal tone 0:19:47 Breathing techniques for vagal stimulation 0:21:15 Humming, chanting, and vocal effects 0:23:15 Social regulation through sound 0:25:24 Cold exposure and vagal response 0:26:35 Diving reflex 0:27:00 Physiological changes in response to cold 0:28:07 Can we "treat" the vagus nerve? 0:32:27 Limitations of direct nerve manipulation 0:35:14 Holistic approaches to nervous system regulation 0:35:39 Identifying clients who might benefit from vagal tone work 0:36:14 Vagus nerve and inflammation 0:38:12 Changing perspectives on manual therapy approaches 0:39:39 Role of education in treatment 0:41:16 Ear stimulation techniques 0:42:52 Cautions about ear work 0:44:46 Polyvagal theory overview 0:45:59 Criticisms of polyvagal theory 0:4...

147: Palpating Fibrosis, Easing Inflammation (with Geoffrey Bove & Holly McMillan)

Jun 25, 2025 58 min

🎙What can trained hands feel in irradiated tissue—and how might that inform both research and practice? In this episode, Til Luchau and guest cohost Cathy Ryan, RMT, talk with neurobiologist Dr. Geoffrey Bove and manual therapist/speech pathologist Holly McMillan about their collaborative animal study. They explore how massage therapy may influence radiation-induced fibrosis, the use of palpation as a formal outcome, and the challenges of correlating what we feel with what science can measure. This wide-ranging discussion offers practical takeaways for manual therapists working with inflammation, scarring, or post-radiation clients. Stick around after the outro for a candid “off-mic” bonus segment where Holly describes her hands-on work in surgical oncology settings. ⏱️ Key Topics: • 00:01:31 – Introductions: Cathy Ryan, Geoffrey Bove, Holly McMillan • 00:03:09 – Why this study was exciting to manual therapists • 00:04:18 – Geoffrey Bove on inflammation, nerves, and fibrosis research • 00:08:14 – Holly: how findings might apply beyond radiation cases • 00:13:20 – Holly explains what she was feeling for in irradiated limbs • 00:14:23 – “Buoyancy” and the difficulty of articulating touch-based findings • 00:18:25 – How palpation findings relate to pathology and imaging • 00:20:59 – Fibrosis and lymphedema as a clinical continuum • 00:23:36 – Timing differences in fibrosis between surgery and radiation • 00:24:52 – Study limitations: assay sensitivity vs. palpation sensitivity • 00:27:00 – Movement’s role in mitigating radiation effects • 00:29:00 – The importance of community, alliance, and social touch • 00:33:27 – Timing of manual therapy before and after radiation • 00:35:00 – Prevention vs. treatment of fibrosis • 00:37:18 – What kind of touch is most helpful, and when • 00:40:00 – Oncology-specific timing considerations for manual therapy • 00:42:29 – Manual therapy goals in early vs. late stages post-surgery • 00:44:09 – What practitioners are really touching...

146: Inflammation, Touch, & the Grieving Body (with Mary-Frances O’Connor)

Jun 11, 2025 56 min

🎙Grief is not just an emotion—it’s a full-body experience. In this episode, Til Luchau talks with neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor, author of The Grieving Body, about how grief changes the brain, affects inflammation, and alters our physiology. They explore how attachment loss rewires the brain, how inflammatory responses shape behavior and mood, and how the body experiences grief via physical sensations. They also discuss the role of touch, bodywork, and therapeutic presence in supporting people through grief, and together they reflect on the profound connections between grief, the body, and the healing power of human connection. 🔍 Key Topics: 04:30 – Grief and the brain: What happens in the mind-body connection 10:45 – Grief is not toxic: A new understanding of pain and loss 16:00 – How inflammation shapes behavior and mood in grief 24:00 – Attachment loss and the nervous system: Polyvagal insights 32:45 – The physical sensations of grief: aches, tension, and holding patterns 38:00 – Touch as co-regulation: What bodywork can offer in grief 44:15 – Grief as a lifelong, embodied process, not something to get over 50:10 – Practical insights for bodyworkers supporting grieving clients 55:30 – How understanding the body’s role in grief can transform our approach 💡 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts with us! info@thethinkingpractitioner.com ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 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: Two of Mary-Frances O’Connor's books: The Grieving Brain https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-grieving-brain-mary-frances-oconnor The Grieving Body https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-grieving-body-mary-frances-oconnor Sponsor Offers: Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofd...

145: Can Discs Heal? (with Stuart McGill)

May 28, 2025 1 hr 11 min

🎙 World-renowned spine expert Dr. Stuart McGill returns for a deep dive into the complexities of disc healing and adaptation, back pain mechanics, and what manual and movement therapists need to understand about spinal loading, adaptation, and practitioner longevity. In this rich and wide-ranging conversation with Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe, Dr. McGill offers both cutting-edge science and practical insights for helping clients—and ourselves—move with more strength, resilience, and less pain. 🔍 Key Topics: (04:43) Can Discs Heal or Adapt? – What the science says about disc recovery and tissue response. (09:47) Posture vs. Load-Driven Pain – Simple tests to differentiate pain sources. (14:12) Disc Architecture & Adaptation – Why discs don’t respond like tendons. (19:38) Mobility vs. Load Capacity – The trade-offs between flexibility and strength. (25:41) Disc Bulges, Schmorl’s Nodes & End Plate Damage – How structure influences symptoms. (32:10) McKenzie Techniques: When They Work & When They Don’t – What recent studies reveal. (41:19) Grooving New Movement Patterns – Lasting change requires more than mobility. (45:57) The Biological Spectrum – Why not all bodies adapt the same. (52:55) Long Fascial Chains & Functional Release – Lessons from the fascia world. (59:00) Chronic vs. Repeated Acute Pain – Empowering clients through precision assessment. (1:00:13) Bodyworker Longevity & Spinal Mechanics – How therapists can protect their own backs. 💡 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts with us! info@thethinkingpractitioner.com ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 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: Stuart McGill's site: https://backfitpro.com Sponsor Offers: Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com. ...

144: Fascia, Emotion, Inflammation, & Attention (with Robert Schleip)

May 14, 2025 59 min

🎙In this thought-provoking episode, Til and Whitney welcome back fascia researcher Robert Schleip to explore the evolving science behind fascia’s role in emotional regulation, inflammation, and sensory experience. They dive into Schleip’s keynote for the upcoming 7th International Fascia Research Congress and discuss emerging research on fascia as a dynamic neuro-immune interface. Robert shares his updates on fascinating insights into attention, depression, touch, circadian rhythms, and how fascia may bridge body and mind in ways we’re only beginning to understand. 🕑 Key Topics 04:15 – Schleip’s keynote preview: fascia, emotion, and immune interaction 06:09 – The new direction of the 2025 Fascia Research Congress 07:55 – Polyvagal theory and fascia: Schleip on Porges and the vagus nerve 12:15 – Fascia and depression: new findings on thickened epimysium 20:47 – Foam rolling, mindful attention, and emotional filtering in depression 26:12 – Reticular formation, attention, and touch outcomes 32:07 – Therapist vs client attention: new data on treatment impact 37:12 – The history and evolution of the Fascia Research Congress 44:04 – Fascia, safety, and perceptual context 48:00 – Sliding fascia and emotional stress: 48-hour delay and resilience 51:40 – New paradigm: from force transmission to circadian rhythms and synthesis 56:21 – Schleip’s takeaway: return to wonder and curiosity under the stars 💡 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts with us! 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery, with in-kind support from the Fascia Research Society ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 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: Fascia & depression study: Michalak J, Aranmolate L, Bonn A, Grandin K, Schleip R, et al. (2021) Myofascial Tissue and Depression, Cognit...

143: Palliative Massage is for Everyone (with Cal Cates)

Apr 30, 2025 1 hr 3 min

🎙Cal Cates returns to The Thinking Practitioner to explore the essential role massage therapy can play in palliative and end-of-life care. In conversation with Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe, Cal shares practical insights, personal stories, and the philosophy behind Healwell’s innovative mPATH training program. Together they unpack ways that all massage therapists and bodyworkers can better support patients, caregivers, and care teams—not by fixing, but by listening, noticing, and showing up with presence. 🌟 Key Topics: [04:37] What is palliative care—and where massage therapy fits [07:15] The cultural fear of dying and how it limits care [11:38] Common assumptions therapists make about palliative care [13:21] Massage therapy is palliative care—philosophically and practically [16:36] Caregiver stress: why the family is the “unit of care” [20:23] Communication as the primary intervention in palliative settings [24:06] How therapeutic touch invites emotional openness [25:44] Self-regulation and presence as clinical skills [31:38] Cal’s personal story: how they began this work [36:39] Are we making progress as a culture in facing death? [38:37] Skills and mindsets bodyworkers can cultivate [46:16] The mPATH program: advanced training for palliative care massage [52:21] What can go wrong without proper preparation [57:13] Technique is important—but presence makes it land [58:17] Resources and where to learn more 💡 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts with us! 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery, with in-kind support from the Fascia Research Society ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 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: Healwell's mPATH program: https://Healwell.org/mPATH Cal's recommendations Palliative Touch by Cindy Spence Oncology Ma...

142: Fascia and the Vagus Nerve (with Fabiana Silva)

Apr 16, 2025 45 min

🎙Til Luchau speaks with physiotherapist and fascia researcher Fabiana Silva about the emerging connections between fascia, the vagus nerve, and systemic inflammation. They explore both the science and the practical applications of manual therapy, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, and the challenges of clinical research in the hands-on healing arts. Fabiana is also the President of the Fascia Research Society, and shares highlights from the upcoming 2025 Fascia Research Congress in New Orleans. 🎧 Tune in to learn how fascia influences vagal tone, inflammation, mood, and more — and how practitioners can work more effectively with these systems. 🌟 Key Topics: •[02:59] Introduction to fascia and the vagus nerve connection •[05:02] Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation and clinical uses •[07:27] Vagus nerve’s role in inflammation and chronic illness •[09:48] Manual therapy, breathwork, and vagal tone •[12:26] Fascia as sensory interface and its impact on vagal signaling •[20:10] Hands-on techniques: suboccipital and gut fascia release •[23:33] Challenges in manual therapy research •[28:29] Predatory journals and the need for better fascia research •[33:59] Fascia Research Congress 2025: what’s coming up •[37:51] Building community and collaboration in the fascia field •[41:37] Fabiana’s closing thoughts on the future of fascia research --- 💡 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts with us! 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery, with in-kind support from the Fascia Research Society ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 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: The 7th International Fascia Research Congress, August 10–14, 2025: https://www.frscongress.org/ Fascia Research Society: https://fasciaresearchsociety.org/ Sponsor Offers: Books of Discovery:...

141: Massage in Integrative Healthcare (with Dale Healey)

Apr 2, 2025 47 min

In this illuminating episode of The Thinking Practitioner, Whitney Lowe sits down with Dale Healey, a leading expert in integrative healthcare, to explore the evolving role of massage therapy in modern medical settings. Healey shares profound insights into interprofessional collaboration, the potential of massage therapy in healthcare, and how practitioners can become more effective advocates for whole-person care. Key Topics: 0:07:00 Defining Integrative Healthcare 0:22:30 The Role of Massage in Medical Settings 0:34:00 Challenges in Massage Therapy Education 0:42:00 Building Relationships Across Healthcare Disciplines 0:45:30 Strategies for Massage Therapists to Expand Their Impact --- 💡 Join the Conversation: Share your thoughts with us! 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites! 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. 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: 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.)

140: Embodied Attention: Contact Improvisation and Bodywork (with Nita Little)

Mar 19, 2025 1 hr 1 min

🎙How does touch shape our perception, our movement, and our connection with others? In this fascinating conversation, Til Luchau welcomes movement pioneer Nita Little, a foundational figure in Contact Improvisation dance, for a deep dive into the world of touch, movement, and attention. Join them as they explore the ways that touch is a language, why attention transforms both bodywork and movement, and how embracing uncertainty can expand our understanding of presence and connection. Their conversation also touches on the challenges of aging, the importance of imagination, and the potential of touch to expand our identity and sense of self, and offers transformative insights for bodyworkers, dancers, and anyone curious about human interaction. 🌟 Key Topics: •The Origins of Contact Improvisation Dance (02:21) – How Nita’s work with Steve Paxton helped shape a new movement form. •Reflexive Action & Improvisational Touch (07:13) – How instinctive movement informs our interactions. •Touch as a Language (10:36) – Understanding touch beyond technique, and instead, as a dynamic dialogue. •The Eternal Moment & Presence in Touch (17:23) – How touch can alter our perception of time. •Boundaries, Social Norms, and Touch (35:09) – Expanding our understanding of what’s possible. •Proprioception & The Mind-Body Connection (44:18) – Exploring movement beyond conscious control. •Aging & Touch (55:39) – How embodied attention supports lifelong movement and adaptability. --- 💡 Join the Conversation: How has embodied attention, dance, or improvisation influenced your practice? Share your thoughts with us! 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 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: Nita's site: https://www.nitalittle.com/ Sponsor Of...

139: Scoliosis: Lessons for Every Back (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Mar 5, 2025 1 hr 8 min

🎙Scoliosis can offer valuable insights into working with the spine, and the same principles can be applied to anyone dealing with stiffness, back pain, postural issues, or mobility challenges. In this deep-dive update, Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau explore the latest perspectives on scoliosis, debunk common myths, and discuss how hands-on therapy can support mobility and comfort. Drawing from their decades of experience, Whitney and Til discuss the differences between adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and adult-onset scoliosis, the role of strength and balance training, and why spinal curvature doesn’t necessarily mean more pain. They also examine the impact of body image, surgical considerations, and how touch- and movement-based strategies can provide lasting benefits for all clients, not just those with scoliosis. 🌟 Highlights: •Scoliosis Overview & Common Misconceptions (02:50) – Understanding spinal curvature: causes,. •Structural vs. Functional Scoliosis Debate (15:34) – Rethinking traditional perspectives on treatment. •Scoliosis and Pain: The Surprising Truth (22:39) – Why people with scoliosis don’t necessarily experience more pain. •Manual Therapy Approaches (38:20) – How bodywork can help. •The Role of Proprioception & Movement Options (44:18) – Helping clients refine their body awareness for better function. •Working with Clients’ Goals (45:25) – Aligning treatment strategies with what truly matters to each individual. •Surgical Considerations & Working with Rods (51:03) – What hands-on therapists need to know about post-surgical scoliosis care. •The Importance of Strength & Balance Training (56:55) – How conditioning and proprioceptive exercises can help manage scoliosis. 💡 Join the Conversation: What’s your experience with scoliosis and manual therapy? Share your thoughts with us! 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. Episode image thanks to Helmut...

138: Carpal Tunnel Crash Course (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Feb 19, 2025 45 min

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common nerve compression issues—but how can massage and manual therapy help? In this in-depth episode, Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau break down the anatomy, risk factors, and assessment strategies for carpal tunnel syndrome, exploring its causes, differential diagnosis, and effective hands-on approaches. They discuss the importance of nerve mobility, client education, and activity modifications to relieve symptoms and improve function. Whether you’re a hands-on therapist looking to refine your treatment strategies, or someone experiencing wrist and hand discomfort, this episode offers valuable insights into understanding and managing carpal tunnel syndrome. 🌟 Highlights: •Carpal Tunnel Basics (02:50) – Understanding the anatomy and mechanics of nerve compression. •Risk Factors (04:00) – Why some people are more prone to carpal tunnel syndrome. •Differential Diagnosis (12:00) – How to distinguish carpal tunnel from other nerve compression issues. •Assessment Questions and Tests (13:40) – Key evaluation techniques to identify carpal tunnel syndrome. •Nerve Fiber Distribution and Symptom Progression (18:30) – How symptoms develop and why sensory signs appear first. •Soft Tissue Goals (21:40) – The role of manual therapy in relieving pressure and improving mobility. •Activity Modification and Client Education (31:30) – Helping clients make lasting changes to prevent symptom recurrence. •Night Splinting and Nerve Healing (38:00) – How positioning at night can aid recovery. •Nerve Gliding and Neurodynamics (43:50) – Gentle movement strategies to improve nerve function. •Massage and Manual Therapy Outcomes (54:10) – Research-backed benefits of hands-on treatment. 💡 Join the Conversation: Have experience working with carpal tunnel syndrome or dealing with it yourself? Share your story with us! 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcas...

137: Remembering Erik Dalton (with Tom Myers, Art Riggs, & more)

Feb 5, 2025 1 hr 7 min

This episode of The Thinking Practitioner Podcast pays tribute to the life and legacy of Erik Dalton, a pioneering figure in the massage and manual therapy field who recently passed away. Through conversations with some of those who knew him best, we gain insight into Dalton's unique contributions, innovative approaches, and profound impact on the profession. Key Topics: Introduction and overview of Dalton's background and influence (0:00 - 5:00) Reflections from Tom Myers, author of Anatomy Trains (5:00 - 11:40) Insights from James Waslaski, international lecturer and author (11:40 - 15:00) Memories shared by Diane Matkowski, the "Massage Mentor" (15:00 - 19:30) Perspective from Eric Brown, consultant for Dalton's business (19:30 - 24:00) Stories and tributes from Jim Asher, Dalton's Rolfing teacher (24:00 - 29:00) Personal accounts from Tammy McCue, senior educator for Dalton's work (29:00 - 34:00) Reflections from Art Riggs, bodyworker and teacher (34:00 - 40:00) Insights from Paul Kelly, longtime collaborator with Dalton (40:00 - 50:00) Closing thoughts and information about the podcast's sponsors (50:00 - 57:00) 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites! 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. 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: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com (The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional pra...

136: Season 5 Highlights (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

Jan 22, 2025 41 min

In this special retrospective episode of The Thinking Practitioner, Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau look back season five's thought-provoking discussions, expert interviews, and groundbreaking insights into the world of massage therapy and bodywork. Reflecting on their most impactful episodes and a guest list that included Tom Myers, Sharon Wheeler, Jill Cook, Antonio Stecco, Greg Lehman and more, they explore highlights such as pain science with Lorimer Moseley, innovative anatomical approaches with Gil Hedley, and Til's profound personal and professional journey through grief. With a mix of deep dives into manual therapy techniques and candid personal stories, this episode celebrates the depth and breadth of the profession and the podcast’s community. Key Topics and Time Codes: •[00:01:00] Introduction and celebrating five seasons of The Thinking Practitioner. •[00:04:00] Reflections on how bodywork has personally transformed Whitney and Til over the years (Episode 134). •[00:06:00] Gil Hedley’s overview of cranial nerves, and his groundbreaking Nerve Tour (Episode 110). •[00:10:35] Highlights from the conversation with Lorimer Moseley on explaining pain (Episode 111). •[00:15:20] Insights into proprioception and fascia from Rochelle Clausen and Nicole Trombley (Episode 119). •[00:17:00] "Movement optimism" with Greg Lehman and rethinking rehabilitation (Episode 114). •[00:20:20] Rolfer Sharon Wheeler discusses the legacy of her ScarWork and Bone Work (Episode 133). •[00:25:00] Low back pain updates: A practical discussion on treatment and understanding (Episode 127). •[00:30:00] Reflections on grief and its profound impact on personal and professional life (Episodes 125, 130, and 132). •[00:33:00] Jill Cook’s insights into tendon pain and the evolving understanding of tendinopathy (Episode 128). •[00:36:30] Celebrating the diversity of guests, their contributions to the field. •[00:38:00] Looking forward to Season 6 and inviting listener input for future...

135: The Neuroscience of Bodywork (with Mark Olson)

Jan 8, 2025 59 min

In this episode, Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau welcome Dr. Mark Olson, a neuroscientist and massage practitioner, for an engaging conversation about the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, trauma, and massage therapy. Dr. Olson shares insights into the complex processes of pain perception, the role of descending modulation, and how manual therapy can create lasting impacts beyond any tissue effects. The trio dives deep into practical applications for massage therapists, addressing divergent views around posture, nociception, and the impact of environment and interpersonal dynamics on client care. This episode will leave you inspired to deepen your practice and reconsider how you approach pain and trauma in the treatment room. Key Topics: •[00:03:18] Introduction to Dr. Mark Olson and his background in neuroscience and massage. •[00:06:24] Overview of nerve processing: sensory input, motor output, and top-down vs. bottom-up influences. •[00:12:00] Ascending vs. descending modulation: What they mean and how they affect pain perception. •[00:20:30] Understanding pain as a perception of danger rather than tissue injury. •[00:33:35] Defining trauma-informed care and its importance for manual therapists. •[00:36:45] Recognizing developmental and shock trauma in practice. •[00:45:43] Exploring myths around posture and its relationship to pain. •[00:54:26] Practical advice for integrating neuroscience into manual therapy practice. Tune in to gain practical tools for fostering safety, understanding pain, and transforming your approach to bodywork. 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 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: Mark Olson's site: https://www.dr-olson.com Pain CE Course page: https://www.dr-olson.com/pain-...

134: How Bodywork Changed Our Lives (with Whitney Lowe & Til Luchau)

Dec 26, 2024 47 min

In this reflective anniversary episode, hosts Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau take a heartfelt look at the transformative impact of massage and manual therapy—both personally and professionally. Sharing stories from their own journeys into the field, lessons learned from clients, and transformative bodywork experiences, they explore how this work profoundly shapes lives. The conversation touches on balancing professional demands with personal growth, the joys and challenges of teaching, and the deeper connections formed through touch. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or just starting, this episode offers inspiration, insight, and a celebration of the unique power of this work. 🌟 Highlights: •Podcast Anniversary and Reflection (00:56): Celebrating milestones and revisiting the podcast’s journey. •Whitney and Til’s Journeys into Bodywork (02:51, 06:49): Their unique paths into the field and what inspired them to stay. •The Transformative Power of Massage Therapy (09:58): Exploring how massage changes lives—both clients’ and practitioners’. •Lessons Learned from Clients (16:25): Profound insights gained from working closely with clients. •Receiving Bodywork: Personal Transformations (21:47): Whitney and Til recount their most impactful bodywork experiences. •From Practitioner to Teacher (25:54): Transitioning into teaching and sharing the work with others. •Balancing Work and Wellbeing (33:15): How to navigate the emotional and physical demands of the profession. 💡 Listeners: Share your story! How has massage or manual therapy changed your life? Send a message or voice recording to us at info@thethinkingpractitioner.com — we’d love to hear from you and maybe even feature your story in a future episode. 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 Get the full transcript at Til or Whitney's sites! Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com Til Luc...

133: ScarWork: Origins and Legacy (with Sharon Wheeler & Wojtek Cackowski)

Dec 11, 2024 1 hr 5 min

💥Just a few openings left! Thailand Retreat, Feb 22-Mar 5 Advanced Myofascial Techniques, ScarWork, Zoga Movement, and Contact Improvisation https://advanced-trainings.com/thailand-retreat-2025/ ----- In this special episode, Til Luchau is joined by the Sharon Wheeler, a Structural Integration pioneer who trained under Dr. Ida P. Rolf and later developed the popular methodologies of ScarWork and BoneWork. Sharon shares captivating stories from her time at the iconic Esalen Institute, her unique experiences with Dr. Rolf, and how her innovative techniques emerged from an intuitive understanding of the body. Learn about the power of light touch in addressing scars and bones, hear about Sharon’s global teaching journey, and learn how her methods are creating lasting change for practitioners and clients alike. Joined by guest Wojtek Cackowski, the conversation dives into the mystery and magic of manual therapy, offering fresh insights for anyone interested in the art and science of healing. 🌟 Highlights: •Sharon’s Fascinating Path to Structural Integration and Beyond (02:02): Stories of Esalen Institute, dancing in San Francisco, and meeting Dr. Ida Rolf. •How ScarWork Was Originated (20:05): Sharon’s journey of discovery while treating scars and the incredible results achieved with light touch. •The Principles of BoneWork (49:25): Addressing bone structure and mobility with innovative, gentle techniques. •Lessons from Esalen and Dr. Rolf (12:15): Early influences and Sharon’s unexpected acceptance into Rolf’s training program. •The Global Impact of Sharon’s Work (57:24): Teaching ScarWork and BoneWork worldwide, including in Ukraine. 📌 Sponsored by: ABMP and Books of Discovery ✨ Rate, review, and share! Help others discover The Thinking Practitioner podcast. 📄 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: Sharon's sit...

132: Bodywork and Grief (with Ronna Moore)

Nov 27, 2024 59 min

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. Our guest, Ronna Moore, a massage therapist with over 40 years of experience, specializes in oncology and palliative care, and is pursuing a doctorate in public health focusing on the role of massage therapy in palliative care. Join us to gain insights into shifting therapeutic mindsets and exploring practical resources to support those experiencing loss. Key Topics 01:19 Guest Introduction and Personal Connection 02:08 Exploring Grief and Loss in Massage Therapy 03:43 Understanding Palliative Care 05:22 Palliative Care Practices in Different Countries 23:16 The Role of Touch in Therapy 35:18 Role-Playing Therapeutic Conversations 36:46 Navigating Grief in Therapy 37:48 The Importance of Sensitivity 38:10 Avoiding Unhelpful Phrases 39:12 The Paradox of Comfort 40:15 Shifting the Therapist Mindset 47:05 Creating a Safe Space 50:01 Understanding Grief Models 54:46 Resources and Final Thoughts 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: Ronna's grief recommendations: Frank Osteseski’s book The Five Intentions is a really valuable guide/resource for me in palliative care and its ‘aftermath'. I also appreciate Ronald Epstein’s book: Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness and Humanity Mary-Frances O’Connor: The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss Mary-Frances O’Connor: The Grieving Body (to be published in 2025) George Bonnano: The Other Side of Sadness AND George Bonnano: The End of Trauma (both of these have a resilience orientation which appeals to me). TED talk by Abraham Vergehese emphasising the humanity of c...

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183: Tight Tissue: What Are We Really Feeling? (with Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe)

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Podcast details

Created by: Til Luchau & Whitney Lowe
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 11, 2026
Episodes: 180
Release period: Every two weeks
Avg. episode length: 53 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

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