The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession

Allissa Haines and Michael Reynolds join the podcast to discuss the wake-up call that the pandemic served. COVID magnified what MTs were doing well or poorly pre-shutdowns. Did you have your earnings in order? Did you reach out and get the resources that were available? Did you treat your business like a business? Find your weaknesses and hone them in preparation for 2021 and beyond.   Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Anatomy Trains   Guest Bios: Allissa Haines and Michael Reynolds make up the wonder duo behind Massage Business Blueprint. Allissa is a practicing massage therapist of 15 years and self-described Director of Shenanigans at Massage Business Blueprint. Michael is a former massage therapist, financial advisor and tech entrepreneur, and self-described Director of Nerdy Things at Massage Business Blueprint. Both happen to be authors for Massage & Bodywork magazine and are columnists of the Blueprint for Success column. For more info about them, please visit Massage Business Blueprint. For more info about their year-long financial series, click here. Find their wonderful article “Financially Surviving COVID-19” that was featured in the Special Issue of Massage & Bodywork.   For more information   “Mind Your Money,” webinar   “Where Do We Go From Here,” Massage & Bodywork magazine, September/October 2020, page 14,

We’re living in unprecedented times. Anne Williams joins us to explain how essential oils can help keep us supported. Whether using them for stimulation or sedation or focus or memory, Anne guides listeners through the science and history of many essential oils, including her four favorite for right now.   Sponsor:   This episode sponsored by Anatomy Trains   Guest Bio:   Anne Williams is the director of education and cofounder with Eric Brown of Massage Mastery Online, specializing in digital textbooks for 21st century massage therapists. Anne has been a licensed massage practitioner for 23 years, and is a former esthetician, certified reflexologist, clinical hypnotherapist, former registered counselor, aromatherapist, spa consultant, author, and educator. She is the former director of education for Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), former director of education for Ashmead College, and has served on the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards’ (FSMTB) test writing committee, serving as project leader for the Entry-Level Analysis Project. She is the author of Spa Bodywork: A Guide for Massage Therapists and Massage Mastery: From Student to Professional.   For more info:   “What’s Your Ethics IQ? Part 1,” by Anne Williams and Karrie Osborn, Massage & Bodywork magazine, November/December 2016, page 40, 

Bunions? Calcifications? Does it make a difference? A massage therapist isn’t sure what’s going on with her client’s foot and wants to know if it even matters. We will unpeel the layers of this situation to revisit bunions, Wolff’s law, osteoarthritis, and more. Come explore this gynglimoarthrodial joint with me—and no, I didn’t make up that word!   Resources:   Injuries to the Great Toe   Bunion Progression Scale   This podcast sponsored by:   Books of Discovery    Anatomy Trains   Host:   Ruth Werner   “COVID-19–Related Complications” 

Yomassage co-founders Katherine and Tiffany discuss the formation of their unique offering, what occurs during a session, and the growth of their “Yo-mi” community. Blending touch, stretch, and breath, Yomassage aims to increase the growth of massage through healthy, clothed touch, while also increasing bodyworkers’ per-session income and career longevity.   This episode sponsored by   Anatomy Trains   Guests bios:   Katherine Parker is a graduate from the University of Texas with a degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern studies, a former yoga studio owner, and cofounder of Yomassage. Tiffany Ryan has a PhD in social work, is a massage therapist, and is cofounder of Yomassage.   For more info:   “Yomassage: Combining Yoga, Massage, and Mindfulness for a Healthy Practice,” Massage & Bodywork magazine, March/April 2019, page 58

A massage therapist is in a rather severe bike accident, being hit by a vehicle—on purpose. In addition to his other injuries, he develops a sudden onset of episodes of skin lesions and severe joint pain that persists to this day. What in the world is going on here, and what can he do about it? This is an inspiring story of remarkable resilience.   General information on psoriatic arthritis:   psoriasis.org/about-psoriatic-arthritis/ healthline.com/health/psoriatic-arthritis   Video:   youtube.com/watch?v=M-E-aXxxRaA&t=22s   This podcast sponsored by:   Books of Discovery   Anatomy Trains    Host:   Ruth Werner   “COVID-19–Related Complications” 

Allison Denney, The Rebel MT, joins the podcast to give us insight into what it means to be a rebel. From starting her wildly popular YouTube channel, to creating her own products, to building a brand, Allison lives up to the “believe in yourself” mantra. Her mission is to give MTs the tools to create their own paths and have the power to speak their voices.   This episode sponsored by   Anatomy Trains   Guest bio:   Allison Denney is a certified massage therapist and certified YouTuber. You can find her massage tutorials at YouTube.com/RebelMassage. She is also passionate about creating products that are kind, simple, and productive for therapists to use in their practices. Her products, along with access to her blog and CE opportunities, can be found at RebelMassage.com.   Read Allison’s columns in Massage & Bodywork magazine: 

A client has chronic low-back pain, headaches, migraines, and a history of some serious surgeries. We take a close look at one of them: spinal fusion at L4-L5. What is this massage therapist doing now? What might he do in the future? It turns out there are a lot of options!   Case study of a client with a spinal fusion:   Keller, G. (2012). “The Effects of Massage Therapy after Decompression and Fusion Surgery of the Lumbar Spine: A Case Study.” International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, 5, no. 4, 3–8.    Information on spinal fusion procedures:   General information https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/spinal-fusion/ https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/spinal-fusion/lumbar-spinal-fusion-surgery   Video spine-health.com/video/spine-fusion-surgery-video   Selected research on massage therapy and scar tissue:   Ault, P., Plaza, A., and Paratz, J. (2018). “Scar Massage for Hypertrophic Burns Scarring—A Systematic Review.” Burns: Journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries, 44, no. 1), 24–38.  Shin, T. M., and Bordeaux, J. S. (2012). “The Role of Massage in Scar Management: A Literature Review.” Dermatologic Surgery: Official Publication for American Society for Dermatologic Surgery [et al.], 38, no. 3, 414–23.    Continuing education on massage therapy and scar tissue:   Scar Tissue Management (3-part series):    Scar Management: Principles, Practice, and Protocol (The Beginning):    This podcast sponsored by:   Books of Discovery   Anatomy Trains   Host:   Ruth Werner

Tom Myers joins the podcast to chat about his bodywork background, extending the longevity of your bodywork career (“pay attention!”), kicking clients out of your practice (seriously), remaining invigorated, the value of dissection labs, and working with the originals.   This episode sponsored by:   Anatomy Trains   Guest bio:   Tom Myers directs Anatomy Trains, which offers certification in structural integration in the United States, Australia, and Europe, as well as short courses in manual therapy and functional anatomy worldwide. Tom is the author of Anatomy Trains and co-author of Fascial Release for Structural Balance. The Anatomy Trains myofascial meridians, which connect the muscles through the fascial fabric, is increasingly employed in a wide variety of rehabilitation and performance enhancement modalities. Tom studied directly with Ida Rolf and Moshe Feldenkrais, as well as Buckminster Fuller, movement luminaries, and European osteopaths. He has practiced structural integration for over 40 years in a wide variety of clinical and cultural settings. Learn more at www.anatomytrains.com.   For more info:   “Structural Integration 2.0,” Massage & Bodywork magazine, May/June 2019, page 78: 

In this episode, a client has lipedema—a painful condition with enlarged fat cells that won’t ever shrink or go away by themselves, and it’s probably going to get worse. It turns out that massage therapy could be helpful with the right kind of education and background. Fortunately, we found a great resource!   Lipedema resources:   Kathleen Lisson, Certified Lymphedema Therapist    Lipedema Treatment Guide   General information:   Understanding Fibrosis in Lipedema: Inflamed Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue (SAT), and Nodules   This podcast sponsored by:   Books of Discovery   Anatomy Trains    Host:   Ruth Werner   “COVID-19–Related Complications” 

Eric Stephenson takes us inside Elements Massage weathering the pandemic. From establishing new protocols to examining client interaction, Elements Massage’s safety committee worked to build safety standards, client reassurance, and personal connection in a time of isolation. The result: with more than 450,000 massages given in their 250 clinics since May 1, Elements Massage has a .01% COVID-19 positive connection rate with their studios, and zero outbreaks at any studio to date. Eric also discusses his life mission of increasing MT career longevity in the profession and provides some silver-lining optimism for the future of bodywork.   This episode sponsored by:   Anatomy Trains   Guest bio:   Eric Stephenson is a 20-year massage veteran and Chief Wellness Officer for Elements Massage, a 250-unit franchise system headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Eric is also Co-Founder of imassage, Inc. in Delray Beach, Florida, an education and consulting company dedicated to extending the careers of massage therapists and spa practitioners through customized continuing education focusing on preventing injury and workers’ compensation claims. Eric creates continuing education specializing in teaching Deep Tissue Massage that doesn’t harm the therapist or the client. All of his workshops focus on saving your hands with his “No Thumbs!” approach and cord body mechanics that help prolong MTs’ careers. In 2014, he joined the Board of Directors of the International Spa Association (ISPA) in Lexington, Kentucky. His experience as an entrepreneur, consultant, and speaker in the wellness industry have taken him around the world.