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Ep 103 – Pseudogout: “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner
04/30/2021
A client wants deep work in his hamstrings, but he has a couple of situations that might make it questionable: Parkinson’s disease and a recent onset of a new condition for him called pseudogout. What is pseudogout, how is it different from traditional gout, and what can this massage therapist do in this complex situation?
Ep 102 – Mount IT Band: “The Rebel MT” with Allison Denney
04/29/2021
The push and pull on our underlying tissues can create some pretty big disturbances up on the surface. In this episode, Allison takes a closer look at the IT Band and explores how to approach a chord of connective tissue that acts more like an earthquake than it does a tendon.
Ep 101 – When You See a Doorway, Walk Through It with Diane Matkowski
04/26/2021
Diane Matkowski, the Massage Mentor, has had many revelatory moments in her life: from getting her first massage, to studying under a hands-on mentor, to making the leap of faith to start her own business. She was terrified. But she took comfort in the phrase from one of her clients: “When you see a doorway, Diane, walk through it.” We discuss her successes (and failures), her COVID protocols that will stick long after the pandemic is over, and what’s it like being audited by the IRS.
Ep 100 – Mercy, it’s MRSA! “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner
04/23/2021
A client with a complex health history reveals he has recently been exposed to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. During his session, his massage therapist finds lots of little scabs on his body—yikes! Good news: this is not nearly so scary as it seems. The hygienic practices we already use provide us with good protection from MRSA colonization, but that needs to happen on purpose, and not by accident. Also, you might want to keep some gloves and masks around.
Ep 99 – Addressing Anxiety Part 2 with Amanda Huggins
04/20/2021
In part two of this conversation, Amanda Huggins offers listeners somatic tools for addressing anxiety, including meditation, box breathing, and heart-focused breathing. She discusses how to work with clients with anxiety (space holding, not advice; supportive affirmations, not comparisons) and advocates for all of us to “triple down on self-care.”
Ep 98 – Marfan Syndrome: “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner
04/16/2021
A client has Marfan syndrome—what does it mean for him? And what does it mean for massage? Listen in as we review what autosomal dominant means, and we enjoy some new vocabulary: dolichostenomelia (abnormally long, thin limbs) and arachnodactyly (spider-digits). We also learn about the potentially life-threatening complications of this genetic disorder.
Ep 97 – The Philosophical Truth About Trigger Points, The Rebel MT, with Allison Denney
04/15/2021
The momentum of a wave can take down huge ships, in much the same way that the momentum of a trigger point can paralyze giants. In this episode, Allison dives into why trigger points are so painful and how approaching them as you might approach an octopus in the ocean is the key to calming the waters.
Ep 96 – “I am enough”: Addressing Anxiety with Amanda Huggins
04/12/2021
In part one of this conversation, Amanda Huggins defines anxiety and describes her own challenge to integrate the mental, physical, and spiritual in her personal life. She helps us get to the emotions underneath the umbrella term anxiety—fear, guilt, imposter syndrome—and lets us know the difference between the stories we tell ourselves (unpacking how beliefs began) and our truths. We conclude with some affirmation practices, the power of grounding, and valuing our worth.
Ep 95 – Disordered Eating: “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner
04/09/2021
This story is a delicate one. The client has an eating disorder that the massage therapist thinks is pretty advanced, and may be getting worse. This episode dives into some of the serious consequences of eating disorders and the important role massage therapy may play. It may be upsetting for people who struggle with eating disorders, so please consider this a trigger warning.
Ep 94 – Get Involved! Talking Government Relations with Laura Embleton
04/05/2021
ABMP Director of Government Relations Laura Embleton joins the podcast to tell us about the advocacy work her team does to support individual practitioners across all 50 states. Laura’s goal is to ensure fair legislation is enacted without overburdening practitioners. We discuss her battle with illicit businesses operating under the guise of massage therapy, human trafficking, media and states usage of the term massage parlors, and, most importantly, how individual practitioners can get involved to make a difference.
04/02/2021
A client didn’t share an important piece of information—and the therapist didn’t ask. The result: a serious situation that massage could have made much worse. In this episode, we talk about a surprising relationship between bariatric surgery and liver failure—and about the need to ask open-ended, inviting questions that will help us get a clear and full understanding of our clients’ health challenges.
Ep 92 – The Calf: Did Someone Say Achilles? The Rebel MT, with Allison Denney
03/31/2021
The desire to be free is one that we not only feel in our hearts, but also in our muscles. Nowhere in the body is this truer than in the calves. In this episode, Allison explores the innate restriction of the calf muscles and finds meaning in the lessons offered up by Greek mythology.
The International SPA Association (ISPA) has announced winners of the 2022 ISPA Innovate Awards, celebrating members whose thoughtful and creative innovations advance the spa industry.
The Nevada legislature introduced Senate Bill 270, the Massage Compact, in March 2023. If you believe an interstate license would benefit massage therapists, write a letter to your representatives.
The Minnesota legislature introduced Senate File 967 and House File 973 in late January. If signed into law, the bills would require statewide licensure for massage and Asian bodywork therapists.
Taking inspiration from a recent ABMP Facebook thread on the subject, freelance writer and LMT Cindy Williams put together a list of her top eight things she loves about being a massage therapist.
Monthly membership programs can turn occasional clients into regulars—and provide you with a steady, reliable stream of income.
Here’s a short list of things that might make us think of skin cancer, but they’re not skin cancer.
In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Kristin and Darren speak with Ben Brown, founder of HND + TMPL Massage Therapy, about how sound affects the body, mind, and spirit.
ABMP is excited to announce we’ve partnered with Dr. Joe Muscolino to add 83 animated illustration videos and 80 muscle-specific cadaver dissection videos to our already stellar ABMP Five-Minute Muscles program, giving massage therapists even more muscle information at their fingertips.
A massage therapist lives and works near the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment site. They want to know about the possible risks of working with people exposed to chemical toxins.
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