The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession Ep 116 - Low-Back Pain with Dr. Ben Benjamin
Low-back pain is certainly one of the, if not the most, pressing issues practitioners will face when working with clientele. More than 70 million people visit doctors each year with low-back pain, so as an MT, knowing the what and how of working with this population can be valuable. Dr. Ben Benjamin joins the podcast to talk about his personal experience with low-back pain, common myths and misconceptions surrounding this injury, the most common causes, how to prevent low-back pain through exercise and diet, and knowing when hands-on treatment is appropriate. Dr. Benjamin relays the value of a health history intake, hands-on tests for assessment, and when to refer out.
Ben Benjamin, PhD in sports medicine, has been practicing massage since 1963 and has been nationally recognized for his contributions to massage therapy, receiving an induction into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame in 2010. With his years of experience as a therapist, educator, and author, Dr. Benjamin has been regarded as a voice of authority in the muscular therapy field. He was the founder and president of the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which began in 1974. Shortly after the Muscular Therapy Institute opened, Dr. Benjamin enhanced his practice by studying under Dr. James Cyriax, widely known for his pioneering work in orthopedic medicine. He has also integrated Aaron Mattes’ Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) techniques into his therapy. With a passion for helping individuals cope with and overcome pain, Dr. Benjamin has been lecturing internationally for more than four decades and written countless articles in publications such as Massage & Bodywork magazine. Dr. Benjamin is also the author of several works referenced by those educators and students in the field, such as Listen to Your Pain, Are You Tense?, Exercise Without Injury, and co-author of The Ethics of Touch and Conversation Transformation. For more information, visit benjamininstitute.com.
Resources from the author:
“Keeping Clients Safe, Part One: How to Avoid Client Injuries,” Massage & Bodywork magazine, May/June 2021, page 64.
“Clients Crossing Boundaries in the Treatment Room,” Massage & Bodywork magazine, March/April 2020, page 54.
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Anatomy Trains is a global leader in online anatomy education and also provides in-classroom certification programs for structural integration in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, Japan, and China, as well as fresh-tissue cadaver dissection labs and weekend courses. The work of Anatomy Trains originated with founder Tom Myers, who mapped the human body into 13 myofascial meridians in his original book, currently in its fourth edition and translated into 12 languages. The principles of Anatomy Trains are used by osteopaths, physical therapists, bodyworkers, massage therapists, personal trainers, yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonics, and other body-minded manual therapists and movement professionals. Anatomy Trains inspires these practitioners to work with holistic anatomy in treating system-wide patterns to provide improved client outcomes in terms of structure and function.
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Handspring Publishing specializes in professional-level books for massage therapists, osteopaths, yoga and Pilates teachers, physiotherapists, and other professionals who use touch or movement to help patients achieve wellness. Handspring Publishing’s books are written and produced to serve the professional and educational needs of health and medical professionals, musculoskeletal therapists, and movement teachers. Its list includes bestsellers like Fascial Stretch Therapy by Chris and Ann Frederick, Fascia: What It Is and Why It Matters by David Lesondak, and the just-published third edition of Pre- and Perinatal Massage Therapy by Carole Osborne, Michele Kolakowski, and David M. Lobenstine. Handspring’s books combine attractive and accessible presentations with an evidence-based approach to writing, including referencing the latest research findings. Authors are drawn from the ranks of highly respected teachers and experts in their area of specialization, including Kelly Bowers, Til Luchau, Robert Schleip, Graham Scarr, Gayle MacDonald, and Carolyn Tague, among others. ABMP members save 20% on regular list prices. Visit handspringpublishing.com and use discount code abmp20 to order. Shipping is free to all addresses in the United States and the United Kingdom.
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At Structural Elements, we view ourselves as Body Engineers. We evaluate the human body according to its structural integrity and establish proper balance between compression and tension elements. Through identifying patterns in the body, we are able to locate areas of compensation to treat the cause of the imbalance, not the site of pain. Our patients achieve lasting results as we reduce structural imbalances, improve connective tissue health, and re-educate movement patterns. Now, we have taken our education, operations, and communications infrastructure from our franchise company and made it available to the industry through (se) Connect.
(se) Connect is the only interdisciplinary knowledge sharing platform that exists in the wellness industry. Participants gain access to treatment tools, business tools, and the ability to connect with other professionals in a variety of modalities. Through our community, massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, athletic trainers, acupuncturists, and others all learn to look at the body through the same lense, which allows for rich discussions on patient care and treatment options. Our training staff brings decades of experience in massage, manual therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, and business, and we look forward to sharing that with you.
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