The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession

A massage therapist has some clients who have battled breast cancer and had lymph nodes removed. They are active and healthy, and report no signs of lymphedema . . . and they want "massage as usual" on their affected arms. Is that possible? Is it advisable? What could go wrong? In this short, pithy discussion, Rebecca Sturgeon, co-author of Oncology Massage: An Integrative Approach to Cancer Care...

The Scalenes have an attachment disorder. This is a good thing and a bad thing. For a group of muscles to be working so hard, understanding where they are, what they do, and the black hole they live in is key to our approach. In this episode, join Allison as she dives into the Posterior Triangle of the neck to explore the scalenes, the big responsibility they shoulder, and what we can do to help. ...

What a year for The ABMP Podcast . We have been so lucky to speak with leading health-care professionals, best-selling authors, and amazing members of the massage and bodywork community. Hosts Darren and Kristin wanted to share with you some of the episodes that made an impact on them, not only this year, but for the year to come.   Resources:   Ep 217 – Deepening Your Practice with Lynn & Ann Tea...

A client has pain, tension, and a specific referral pattern between her right shoulder and left leg. She was also born with a rare disease that affects her mitochondria, and that carries a host of complications, like high blood pressure, headaches, and diabetes. Can massage therapy help reduce her tension, even if it is led by mitochondrial dysfunction? We ask that question and discuss on this epi...

Human trafficking in adults involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Human trafficking is an insidious crime and affects a variety of communities and industries. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with FSMTB Executive Director Dr. Debra Persinger about the FSMTB's efforts to help identify human trafficking within...

A client has muscle tightness, pain, scoliosis, and a tendency to complain all the time about everything. And by the way, he is hungry, literally every waking moment. In this episode of I Have a Client Who . . . Ruth Werner asks the question, "Can massage therapy help?"   Sponsors:      Books of Discovery:  www.booksofdiscovery.com      Host Bio:                     Ruth Werner is a former massage...

Bodywork for the geriatric population helps regain strength, balance, coordination, and a level of functioning—but it also creates a more independent lifestyle. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren are joined by Dr. Joi Edwards to discuss cupping for the geriatric community, how she was drawn to working with the elderly, and her approach when setting goals for these types of pa...

A client had a cardiac catheterization complication and had to be shocked back into a functional rhythm. Now he wants a massage, and his doctor seems to be on board. What is a cardiac catheterization, what does it mean to be shocked back into rhythm, and what does it mean for decisions about massage? In this episode of I Have a Client Who, Ruth explores this issue and answers these questions.   Sp...

You might be familiar with the Ship of Theseus. But do you know about the Paradox of the Intercostals? They both involve planks. And they both raise some interesting questions. In this episode of The Rebel MT , join Allison as she compares Theseus's Paradox to the quandary that are the intercostal muscles. Perhaps you have some answers to an age-old query that has been perplexing humans for eons....

Integrative Touch (InTouch) works to change the way people experience health care by supporting caregivers and families whose children have special health or medical needs. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin speaks with the founder of Integrative Touch, Shay Beider, about what led her to start Integrative Touch, how their mission of whole child, whole family, whole community developed,...

A client has Scheuermann's disease: a genetic malformation of vertebral bodies that arises during adolescence. But the client also has some other issues: anxiety, joint and back pain, clicking, popping, and crepitus. How much of this is due to Scheuermann's disease, and how might manual therapy be able to help? Plus, in this episode of "I Have a Client Who . . ." Pathology Conversations with Ruth...

We know the massage and bodywork community is full of passionate instructors possessing caring hearts and expert hands-on skills who give their all to students. But so many are often trained in the "trial by fire" method. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with ABMP Chairman Bob Benson about his motivation for creating Cornerstones, the ABMP Instructor Development Progr...

An 82-year-old client lives with bladder cancer. After cataract surgery, he developed a urinary tract infection (UTI) and sepsis and had to spend 10 days in the hospital. Now he's home, on IV antibiotics, and wants a massage. His therapist wonders, will he ever be able to receive massage again?   Sponsors:      Books of Discovery:  www.booksofdiscovery.com      Advanced-Trainings: www.advanced-tra...

In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Darren speaks with Ruth Werner and Angie Parris-Raney about working with clients who have fibromyalgia, how medical opinions have changed – or haven't, and how MT's should reset expectations and instead honor "the human experience". Resources:     " Working with Invisible Pain ," Massage & Bodywork magazine, November/December 2022, page 36,   Host: Darren Bufo...

A massage therapist accidentally finds an electrical wire running down their client's neck, alongside their SCM—surprise! It turns out to be a deep brain stimulation (DBS) device to help treat Parkinson's disease. DBS can also be used to treat a handful of other conditions, and treating more conditions continues to be investigated. So the chance you could have a client with a DBS device is higher...

You believe in your work. This is your purpose, and you want a business that reflects that. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with small business coach Joanna Sapir about how practitioners can serve their clients more deeply, how consultations should be used as a growth strategy, and how to step into a leadership role to create committed client relationships. Joanna Sa...

A client is undergoing a series of intravenous iron infusions to treat anemia. Her doctor has cleared her for massage, but her massage therapist still has questions—as they should. What are the cautions or contraindications for someone who needs to supplement iron intravenously? Let's find out.   Sponsors:      Books of Discovery:  www.booksofdiscovery.com      Advanced-Trainings: www.advanced-tra...

The rotator cuff muscles should be added to the history books among all the other famous foursomes. But that doesn't mean those rotator cuff muscles know how to work well together. Learning this skill is not as easy as it might seem. This is where we step in. It's a little like balancing a pie as you decide whether or not to throw it in your friend's face. But then, should you even throw the pie?...

Things happen. Everyone is at risk of a tragic event such as death or disability. A solid plan will lead to peace of mind. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Allissa and Michael discuss the importance of having a plan in place for such an event, how to organize your "get hit by a bus" file, and how having a trusted person to manage your business affairs is an absolute must. Allissa is a co-foun...

A client struggles to find the best way to tell her massage therapist about her trauma history. A massage therapist wants to make this an easier process, without running the risk of re-traumatizing clients. The whole thing is much more complicated than it looks. What is trauma? Who's a survivor? What is trauma-informed care? And where does massage therapy fit in?   Sponsors:      Books of Discover...

The field of fascia research has undergone remarkable expansion and growth over the last decade. But until now, a true visualization had been a challenge. Enter FR:EIA, the world's first 3-D human fascia plastinate. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with Rachelle Clauson and Gary Carter about how FR:EIA came to be, her first public appearance in Montreal, Quebec, at th...

A client with a complex health situation wants massage to improve their heart rate variability, and they are prepared to track results with a smartwatch and a smart ring. What does this mean? Why does HRV matter? Are there downsides to biometric tracking related to massage? These questions are answered, but more are raised in this episode of I Have a Client Who . . .   Sponsors:      Books of Disc...

John Barnes is known as the father, or the grandfather as he likes to say, of myofascial release (MFR). But there's so much more to this technique than one might think. Join Allison as she sits down with John to discuss the life force of fascia, the power of MFR, and how the ability to live in allows us all an authentic path to healing. Host:                   Contact Allison Denney:  rebelmt@abmp...

A lack of thoracic mobility, particularly extension, is one of the chronic structural/functional issues of our time. In this episode of The ABMP Podcast , Kristin and Darren speak with Lynn and Ann Teachworth about why they decided to develop a class on the thoracic spine, how the dynamics of the thoracic relate to common pain syndromes and injuries in other parts of the body, and some strategies...

Following a motor vehicle accident, a client has dystonia—a neurological problem with muscle tone. She is using two powerful muscle relaxants: Botox injections and a baclofen intrathecal pump. Is there anything massage might do to help? Not only is the answer yes, but we even have some data to back it up!   Sponsors:      Books of Discovery:  www.booksofdiscovery.com      Advanced-Trainings: www.a...