The Thinking Practitioner
The Thinking Practitioner
Podcast Description
Join two of the leading educators in manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy, as they delve into the most intriguing issues, questions, research, and client conditions that hands-on practitioners face. Stimulate your thinking with imaginative conversations, tips, and interviews related to the somatic arts and sciences.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on a wide range of themes related to manual therapy, anatomy, and client care, including episodes dedicated to specific conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, grief, and low back pain. It also explores topics such as pain science, the impact of touch and presence in therapy, and the evolving understanding of tendinopathy and fascia, offering practitioners practical tools and research-backed insights.
Join two of the leading educators in manual therapy, bodywork, and massage therapy, as they delve into the most intriguing issues, questions, research, and client conditions that hands-on practitioners face. Stimulate your thinking with imaginative conversations, tips, and interviews related to the somatic arts and sciences.
🎙 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! [email protected]
✨ 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.
- 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
- Fascia Research Congress: save $100 when you use the coupon code “THINKING” at https://www.frscongress.org/
About Whitney Lowe | About Til Luchau | Email Us: [email protected]
(The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies: bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, chiropractic, myofascial and myotherapy, orthopedic, sports massage, physical therapy, osteopathy, yoga, strength and conditioning, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice.)
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.