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Ep 29 – Ask ABMP: Your Questions on Topics from COVID-19 to Body Mechanics to Intake Forms
09/15/2020
In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, experts in the field answer your most pressing questions, from COVID-19 protocols and precautions to body mechanics, intake forms, and more. We hear from authors and educators Ruth Werner and Eric Stephenson, and check in with ABMP’s Director of Government Relations Laura Embleton, Risk Management/Special Services Debbie Higdon, and President Les Sweeney.
Ep 28 – Can This Relationship Be Saved? “I Have a Client Who …” with Ruth Werner
09/11/2020
In this episode, a client might be disappointed. A therapist is very concerned. And we don’t know what will happen next. When a “pinched nerve” that has been quiet for six months suddenly creates symptoms in the middle of a massage, what’s a therapist to do? We will talk about what could be going on here (including some fascinating things about nerve-generated pain) and what the best next steps could be.
Ep 27 – Surfacing Hidden Suffering with Massage & Bodywork Columnist Cindy Williams
09/04/2020
Author and instructor Cindy Williams, LMT, talks about what happens when powerful emotions like stress, sadness, and grief become too uncomfortable to manage and get buried beneath the surface. How can massage therapists and bodyworkers recognize the signs of hidden suffering, and what can they do to assist clients in becoming conscious of the emotions stored in the tissues of their body?
Ep 26 – Hernia—“I Have a Client Who …” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner
09/03/2020
Guess the pathology: an egg-sized lump in the groin. In this episode of “I Have a Client Who …” a massage therapist describes a client who comes in asking for groin work—to help with a “knot.” What on earth is going on?
It turns out to be simple, but way, way outside our scope of practice—to label, or to treat.
Ep 25 – “The Client is Always Right … Really?” with Cal Cates and Kerry Jordan of Healwell
08/31/2020
What happens when the client is “right,” but factually wrong? Cal Cates and Kerry Jordan of Healwell have some thoughts about the difference between the validity of a client’s experience and what the therapist knows to be scientifically and mechanically sound, and why it’s important for MTs to stay present throughout a session to remain attentive and curious so clients feel heard.
Ep 24 – Patent Foramen Ovale—“I Have a Client Who …” with Ruth Werner
08/27/2020
A man has a stroke at age 35. He fully recovers, but is put on a lifelong prescription of anticoagulants. What is going on, and will he ever be able to receive the deep massage he wants? In this episode, Ruth looks at a common anomaly called patent foramen ovale. We discuss its connection to cryptogenic stroke (and we even dive into migraine for a hot second). Finally, we talk about the safety of massage therapy for clients taking anticoagulant drugs.
Ep 23 – The State of PPE in Massage with Zeel's Alison Harmelin and Amir Hemmat
08/25/2020
Zeel Co-Founder Alison Harmelin and Zeel Senior Director of Public Health and Workplace Safety Amir Hemmat discuss the current state of PPE for massage therapists, including how to prioritize which products to use and which partners to trust, how to plan ahead so you’re not caught unprepared in your practice, and what steps Zeel is taking to ensure the safety of their therapists and clients.
Ep 22 – Fractured Sternum—“I Have a Client Who …” with Ruth Werner
08/21/2020
A client who was recently in a motor vehicle accident was “cleared for massage” by her primary care provider. But it turns out she had no X-rays and that hid the fact that she sustained a fracture to her sternum. What is the responsibility of the massage therapist when a client has been “cleared for massage”? Ruth has some thoughts.
Ep 21 – Lighten Up and Slow Down with Cathy Ryan: A Discussion About Fascia and Scar Tissue
08/18/2020
Author and educator Cathy Ryan joins the pod to discuss her love of fascia and how her work has been informed and changed by research over her 30-year career. We discuss Cathy’s approach to working with scar tissue, deep dive into the wound-healing process, and talk about the possibility of facilitating change in both mature scars and those soon after insult.
Ep 20 – Undiagnosed Rash: What Do You Think It Is? “I Have a Client Who …” with Ruth Werner
08/14/2020
An older long-time client is on the table, midway through her massage. When the MT undrapes her leg, she finds a string of red blisters from the client’s buttock down the leg. “Oh, yeah, it’s kind of itchy,” says the client. In this episode, we talk about undiagnosed skin lesions, how carefully we need to communicate to clients about them, and take a deeper dive into shingles: what causes it, what the risks are, and whether massage therapists might catch it from clients.
08/11/2020
Is it possible that mouth breathing has contributed to, and exacerbated, numerous health conditions? Bestselling author James Nestor wants to convert you into a nose breather. He spent years in laboratories and ancient burial sites, working with researchers at Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, and other institutions to figure out what went wrong with our breathing—and how to fix it.
Ep 18 – Shoulder Injury—Or Is It?—“I Have a Client Who …” with Ruth Werner
08/07/2020
A client complaining of seemingly uncomplicated shoulder pain has a very complicated issue indeed—the wrong choices here could have led to very serious repercussions. Pathology educator Ruth Werner shares one of her own “I Have a Client Who . . .” stories involving a neighbor, her garden, and her mysterious, stubborn shoulder pain—that turned out not to be shoulder pain.
On May 15, 2024, Governor Kay Ivey signed into law Senate Bill 137, terminating the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy and its functions to create the new Alabama Massage Therapy Licensing Board. Learn key takeaways from the bill and how its passage may affect you.
Tennessee massage therapy education requirements increased from 500 hours to 650. ABMP would like to share an update to explain how that change came about and give some overdue credit to those who made it happen.
Without your support, the Alabama massage therapy profession is in danger of losing its regulatory board, which could result in inconsistent regulation or none at all. Call Governor Kay Ivey to encourage the passage of Senate Bill 137 to protect massage regulation.
The new ABMP CE course, “Structural Dynamics of Headache Pain,” is now available in the ABMP Education Center to view and earn 1 CE hour.
The Rolfing series delivers an approach that produces results that are progressive beyond the last session for months and years to come.
Raise awareness of domestic abuse, human trafficking, and practical infection control by getting certified in Client Well-Being & Safety through this Milady course.
AnatomySCAPES provides online and in-person real anatomy education to inspire your hands-on practice.
Tune in to this episode of Business or Pressure with host Allissa Haines to hear money saving tips and how to generate more income.
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