The ABMP Podcast | Speaking With the Massage & Bodywork Profession

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals
  • 4.8 (102)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Our goal is to speak with luminaries and experts in and around massage and bodywork to help expound upon and better understand our profession and our practices.

  1. 3h ago

    Reliance to Interdependence: "Fully Booked" with Elicia Crook

    One of the things I've been thinking about lately is the idea of independence versus interdependence. As business owners, especially in the massage and wellness industry, we often celebrate independence. In fact, for many of us, independence was the reason we started our businesses in the first place. We wanted freedom: freedom from a boss, freedom from being told when we could take holidays, and freedom to choose our clients, our hours, our pricing, and our direction. Independence is incredibly attractive because, for many people, it represents choice. But what I've noticed over the years is that independence isn't where growth ends. It's just one stage of the journey. Host: Elicia Crook is a business coach and mentor for massage therapists, sharing the tactics she used to create her business success over 16 years. She is a diploma-qualified remedial massage therapist, using modalities such as Bowen and craniosacral therapy, and has a Cert IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, which she used while teaching massage for several years. Through her career and business experience, Crook discovered who she needed to be and what is required to run a deeply satisfying massage business. Now she takes the Fully Booked Without Burnout blueprint to other therapists around the world to create more success and passion. For more information, visit https://healthleaderco.com/   Resources: Health Leader Mastery  Health Leader Mastery is our flagship 12-month coaching and mentoring program designed for massage and wellness professionals who want to grow a profitable, sustainable practice without burnout. Through a combination of training, coaching, accountability, planning, leadership development, and a supportive community, you'll gain the systems, strategies, and confidence to attract more clients, increase your impact, and build a practice you genuinely love. https://healthleaderco.com/mastery The Pain Australia Mapping: https://www.painaustralia.org.au/static/uploads/files/mpact.pdf   Making the Leap to a Full-Time Business" https://www.abmp.com/learn/course/making-leap-full-time-business-part-1-mindset   Sponsor: Save time and reduce stress with MassageBook. It's not just software—it's a comprehensive solution that handles online scheduling, payment processing, and marketing campaigns, making it easier for you to provide your clients with top-notch care. Enjoy free, unlimited access for 30 days and save on your monthly subscription with your exclusive ABMP member discount.  Special Offer:  Right now, MassageBook is offering listeners $50 off when they sign up with coupon code ABMP50. Start your free 30-day trial today and transform your practice with tools designed to increase bookings and streamline client management.  Connect with MassageBook:  Visit their website: MassageBook  Follow MassageBook on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

  2. 3d ago

    Meet the Researchers: Hormones and Fascia with Katja Bartsch

    Meet the researchers! Rachelle and Nicole continue in this series of conversations with fascia researchers from around the globe. Hormones are talking to the cells that build our fascia. In this episode, researcher Dr. Katja Bartsch of Munich, Germany shares how she's been listening in on that conversation and tells us what it means for the women on our massage tables.  Dr. Bartsch is exploring an emerging and under-studied question in her research: how do female hormones — and the drop in estrogen through menopause — affect our connective tissues? Listen as she updates us on the current findings. Rachelle and Nicole discuss how the science translates to the treatment room, and why so many women in midlife arrive at our massage tables with new pain and stiffness. The research is early and the answers aren't simple, but the questions are ones every bodyworker will want to hear. About our guest: Dr. Katja Bartsch is a sports scientist and fascia researcher at the Technical University of Munich. She is a Board-Certified Structural Integration practitioner, an E-RYT 500 yoga educator, and author of Optimizing Women's Health and Training: Embracing Female Physiology for Performance and Wellbeing (UBC Press, 2025). Dr. Bartsch teaches anatomy, fascia physiology, and female hormones in trainings and workshops across Europe, including with Yoga Medicine, and through her own platform, Kalamana Yoga (kalamanayoga.com). Host Bios: AnatomySCAPES Co-Directors, Rachelle Clauson and Nicole Trombley, are NCBTMB-approved continuing education providers and teach anatomy explorations for hands-on professionals online and in person. They co-author the "Anatomy for Touch" column in Massage & Bodywork magazine and enjoy helping therapists better understand how anatomy relates to what they are feeling through their sense of touch. Nicole Trombley: As a massage educator, Nicole draws on her passion for human biology to help therapists better understand the tissues under their hands. She owns and operates Equilibrio Massage in San Diego, CA, where she has specialized in massage for pregnancy and postpartum since 2004. Rachelle Clauson: Rachelle loves teaching therapists about the structural organization and beauty of the human fascial system. She serves as the Director of Creative and Administrative Affairs for the Fascial Net Plastination Project, and owns Flourish Bodywork, her private practice where she has been offering hands-on bodywork in San Diego, CA, since 2003. Resources: Dr. Katja Bartsch's book: Optimizing Women's Health and Training: Embracing Female Physiology for Performance and Wellbeing (UBC Press, 2025) AnatomySCAPES continuing education: anatomyscapes.com Journey into the MATRIX: the Fascial System dissection lab workshop in San Diego this September 15-17, 2026: anatomyscapes.com/matrix Questions? info@anatomyscapes.com   About Our Sponsors:   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.     Website: anatomytrains.com         Email: info@anatomytrains.com           Facebook: facebook.com/AnatomyTrains         Instagram: www.instagram.com/anatomytrainsofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g6TOEFrX4b-CigknssKHA    Precision Neuromuscular Therapy seminars (www.pnmt.org) have been teaching high-quality seminars for more than 20 years. Doug Nelson and the PNMT teaching staff help you to practice with the confidence and creativity that comes from deep understanding, rather than the adherence to one treatment approach or technique.  Find our seminar schedule at pnmt.org/seminar-schedule with over 60 weekends of seminars across the country. Or meet us online in the PNMT Portal, our online gateway with access to over 500 videos, 37 NCBTMB CEs, our Discovery Series webinars, one-on-one mentoring, and much, much more! All for the low yearly cost of $167.50. Learn more at pnmt.thinkific.com/courses/pnmtportal!  Follow us on social media: @precisionnmt on Instagram or at Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars on Facebook.   At Heights Wellness Retreat, we believe every person is an unstoppable force, whether navigating daily demands, pursuing goals, or striving to be their best. This drives everything we do. We go beyond traditional spa services by creating a purpose-driven environment where wellness professionals are empowered, valued, and positioned to grow. With steady clientele, support, and a wellness-forward culture, Heights Wellness Retreat is where therapists build meaningful, sustainable careers while shaping the future of the wellness industry.  www.massageheightscareers.careerplug.com/jobs  www.heightswellnessretreats.com  https://www.instagram.com/heightswellnessretreat/  https://www.facebook.com/heightswellnessretreat/

  3. Jul 21

    The Power of Great Advice with Kristin Coverly

    Join Kristin Coverly as she speaks with guests Cal Cates, Dr. Joi Edwards, and Doug Nelson about the best piece of advice they've received and how it impacted their lives. Resources: ABMP Education Center: https://www.abmp.com/learn/ "Rising Strong" by Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/book/rising-strong/ Host: Kristin Coverly, LMT is a massage therapist, educator, and the director of professional education at ABMP. She loves creating continuing education courses, events, and resources to support massage therapists and bodyworkers as they enhance their lives and practices. Contact her at ce@abmp.com. Guests: Cal Cates Cal is the executive director of Healwell and has been teaching and developing curriculum for massage therapy courses focused on hospital-based practice, oncology massage, and end of life care since 2007. Learn more at www.healwell.org. Dr. Joi Edwards Dr. Joi Edwards is both a licensed massage therapist and a licensed physical therapist. Her continuing education company, Owlchemy Education, successfully fuses the science of orthopedics with the art and intuition of massage, bridging both worlds together with the magic of silicone cups! Learn more at owlchemyeducation.com. Doug Nelson Doug Nelson is the founder of Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars, president of the 22-therapist clinic BodyWork Associates in Champaign, Illinois, past president of the Massage Therapy Foundation, the author of three books, and a columnist for Massage & Bodywork magazine. His clinic, seminars, and research explore the science behind massage therapy. Learn more at pnmt.org  Sponsors: 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.     Website: anatomytrains.com                       Email: info@anatomytrains.com           Facebook: facebook.com/AnatomyTrains             Instagram: www.instagram.com/anatomytrainsofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g6TOEFrX4b-CigknssKHA    Precision Neuromuscular Therapy seminars (www.pnmt.org) have been teaching high-quality seminars for more than 20 years. Doug Nelson and the PNMT teaching staff help you to practice with the confidence and creativity that comes from deep understanding, rather than the adherence to one treatment approach or technique. Find our seminar schedule at pnmt.org/seminar-schedule with over 60 weekends of seminars across the country. Or meet us online in the PNMT Portal, our online gateway with access to over 500 videos, 37 NCBTMB CEs, our Discovery Series webinars, one-on-one mentoring, and much, much more! All for the low yearly cost of $167.50. Learn more at pnmt.thinkific.com/courses/pnmtportal!  Follow us on social media: @precisionnmt on Instagram or at Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars on Facebook.   At Heights Wellness Retreat, we believe every person is an unstoppable force, whether navigating daily demands, pursuing goals, or striving to be their best. This drives everything we do. We go beyond traditional spa services by creating a purpose-driven environment where wellness professionals are empowered, valued, and positioned to grow. With steady clientele, support, and a wellness-forward culture, Heights Wellness Retreat is where therapists build meaningful, sustainable careers while shaping the future of the wellness industry.  www.massageheightscareers.careerplug.com/jobs  www.heightswellnessretreats.com  https://www.instagram.com/heightswellnessretreat/  https://www.facebook.com/heightswellnessretreat/

  4. Jul 17

    Creating a Culture by Design: "Fully Booked" with Elicia Crook

    In this episode of Fully Booked, Elicia explores the ESIP Framework—Environment, Structure, Implementation, and People—and how these four elements work together to create a thriving, intentional workplace culture. Elicia explains how clear purpose, effective systems, consistent execution, and aligned people can strengthen accountability, improve performance, and help your business grow by design rather than by default. Host: Elicia Crook is a business coach and mentor for massage therapists, sharing the tactics she used to create her business success over 16 years. She is a diploma-qualified remedial massage therapist, using modalities such as Bowen and craniosacral therapy, and has a Cert IV in Workplace Training and Assessment, which she used while teaching massage for several years. Through her career and business experience, Crook discovered who she needed to be and what is required to run a deeply satisfying massage business. Now she takes the Fully Booked Without Burnout blueprint to other therapists around the world to create more success and passion. For more information, visit https://healthleaderco.com/   Resources: Health Leader Mastery  Health Leader Mastery is our flagship 12-month coaching and mentoring program designed for massage and wellness professionals who want to grow a profitable, sustainable practice without burnout. Through a combination of training, coaching, accountability, planning, leadership development, and a supportive community, you'll gain the systems, strategies, and confidence to attract more clients, increase your impact, and build a practice you genuinely love. https://healthleaderco.com/mastery The Pain Australia Mapping: https://www.painaustralia.org.au/static/uploads/files/mpact.pdf Making the Leap to a Full-Time Business" https://www.abmp.com/learn/course/making-leap-full-time-business-part-1-mindset Sponsor: Save time and reduce stress with MassageBook. It's not just software—it's a comprehensive solution that handles online scheduling, payment processing, and marketing campaigns, making it easier for you to provide your clients with top-notch care. Enjoy free, unlimited access for 30 days and save on your monthly subscription with your exclusive ABMP member discount.  Special Offer:  Right now, MassageBook is offering listeners $50 off when they sign up with coupon code ABMP50. Start your free 30-day trial today and transform your practice with tools designed to increase bookings and streamline client management.  Connect with MassageBook:  Visit their website: MassageBook  Follow MassageBook on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

  5. Jul 14

    Interview with Dr. Armpit, Part 1: "I Have a Client Who . . ." Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner

    Ruth interviews Dr. Chris Callewaert, also known as Dr. Armpit, about his research into the microbiomes that contribute to body odor (BO). Although his work focuses on the skin of the armpits, his findings also apply to foot odor and even bad breath. In Part 1, we meet Dr. Callewaert and learn what led him to this career—spoiler alert: it involved a sleepover. We discuss the differences between "good" and "bad" body odor, how BO is classified, why it is a concern, and how it can affect a person's quality of life. We also explore the skin-gut axis and how processes in the digestive tract influence the composition of our sweat and, in the case of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), even the color of the tongue. Resources: Learn more about Dr. Chris Callewaert: https://drarmpit.com/ Host Bio:         Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology, now in its seventh edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is also a long-time Massage & Bodywork columnist, most notably of the Pathology Perspectives column. Werner is also ABMP's partner on Pocket Pathology, a web-based app and quick reference program that puts key information for nearly 200 common pathologies at your fingertips. Werner's books are available at www.booksofdiscovery.com. And more information about her is available at www.ruthwerner.com.    Sponsors: 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.      Website: anatomytrains.com           Email: info@anatomytrains.com           Facebook: facebook.com/AnatomyTrains                      Instagram: www.instagram.com/anatomytrainsofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g6TOEFrX4b-CigknssKHA    Precision Neuromuscular Therapy seminars (www.pnmt.org) have been teaching high-quality seminars for more than 20 years. Doug Nelson and the PNMT teaching staff help you to practice with the confidence and creativity that comes from deep understanding, rather than the adherence to one treatment approach or technique. Find our seminar schedule at pnmt.org/seminar-schedule with over 60 weekends of seminars across the country. Or meet us online in the PNMT Portal, our online gateway with access to over 500 videos, 37 NCBTMB CEs, our Discovery Series webinars, one-on-one mentoring, and much, much more! All for the low yearly cost of $167.50. Learn more at pnmt.thinkific.com/courses/pnmtportal!  Follow us on social media: @precisionnmt on Instagram or at Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars on Facebook.   At Heights Wellness Retreat, we believe every person is an unstoppable force, whether navigating daily demands, pursuing goals, or striving to be their best. This drives everything we do. We go beyond traditional spa services by creating a purpose-driven environment where wellness professionals are empowered, valued, and positioned to grow. With steady clientele, support, and a wellness-forward culture, Heights Wellness Retreat is where therapists build meaningful, sustainable careers while shaping the future of the wellness industry.  www.massageheightscareers.careerplug.com/jobs  www.heightswellnessretreats.com  https://www.instagram.com/heightswellnessretreat/  https://www.facebook.com/heightswellnessretreat/

  6. Jul 7

    Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Bodywork: "The Rebel MT" with Allison Denney

    In this episode of The Rebel MT, Allison reflects on a session she had as a newbie therapist that shaped how she approaches anatomy, particularly in relation to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). She explores what bodyworkers need to know about EDS, what interventions can be meaningfully helpful, and why the lessons learned from early mistakes can become some of our greatest strengths.   Host Bio:           Contact Allison Denney: rebelmt@abmp.com             Allison's website: www.rebelmassage.com                      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.                           About our Sponsors:   Rebel Massage Therapist: My name is Allison. And I am not your typical massage therapist. After 20 years of experience and thousands of clients, I have learned that massage therapy is SO MUCH more than a relaxing experience at a spa. I see soft tissue as more than merely a physical element but a deeply complex, neurologically driven part of who you are. I use this knowledge to work WITH you—not ON you—to create change that works. This is the basis of my approach. As a massage therapist, I have worked in almost every capacity, including massage clinics, physical therapy clinics, chiropractor offices, spas, private practice, and teaching. I have learned incredible techniques and strategies from each of my experiences. In my 20 years as a massage therapist, I have never stopped growing. I currently have a private practice based out of Long Beach, California, where I also teach continuing education classes and occasionally work on my kids. If they're good. website: www.rebelmassage.com FB: facebook.com/RebelMassage IG: instagram.com/rebelmassagetherapist YouTube: youtube.com/c/RebelMassage email: rebelmassagetherapist@gmail.com   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.        Website: anatomytrains.com               Email: info@anatomytrains.com           Facebook: facebook.com/AnatomyTrains                   Instagram: www.instagram.com/anatomytrainsofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g6TOEFrX4b-CigknssKHA    Precision Neuromuscular Therapy seminars (www.pnmt.org) have been teaching high-quality seminars for more than 20 years. Doug Nelson and the PNMT teaching staff help you to practice with the confidence and creativity that comes from deep understanding, rather than the adherence to one treatment approach or technique. Find our seminar schedule at pnmt.org/seminar-schedule with over 60 weekends of seminars across the country. Or meet us online in the PNMT Portal, our online gateway with access to over 500 videos, 37 NCBTMB CEs, our Discovery Series webinars, one-on-one mentoring, and much, much more! All for the low yearly cost of $167.50. Learn more at pnmt.thinkific.com/courses/pnmtportal!  Follow us on social media: @precisionnmt on Instagram or at Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars on Facebook.   At Heights Wellness Retreat, we believe every person is an unstoppable force, whether navigating daily demands, pursuing goals, or striving to be their best. This drives everything we do. We go beyond traditional spa services by creating a purpose-driven environment where wellness professionals are empowered, valued, and positioned to grow. With steady clientele, support, and a wellness-forward culture, Heights Wellness Retreat is where therapists build meaningful, sustainable careers while shaping the future of the wellness industry.  www.massageheightscareers.careerplug.com/jobs  www.heightswellnessretreats.com  https://www.instagram.com/heightswellnessretreat/  https://www.facebook.com/heightswellnessretreat/

  7. Jun 23

    The Productivity Struggle with Doug Nelson

    In this episode of The ABMP Podcast, Doug Nelson explores the value of productive struggle in clinical practice. He shares how embracing uncertainty, reflecting on your decisions, and developing deeper understanding can help therapists grow into more confident and effective clinicians. Host: Douglas Nelson is Board Certified in Massage Therapy and Therapeutic Bodywork, beginning his career in massage therapy in 1977.  Seeing over 1,200 client visits annually for decades, he is also the owner of BodyWork Associates, a massage therapy clinic in Champaign, IL. with 21 therapists that was established in 1982. He is the founder of NMT MidWest, Inc., providing training in Precision Neuromuscular Therapy™ across the USA. He has personally taught more than 13,000 hours of continuing education and is the author of three books. Doug is a past president of the Massage Therapy Foundation.   Sponsors:   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.     Website: anatomytrains.com     Email: info@anatomytrains.com           Facebook: facebook.com/AnatomyTrains    Instagram: www.instagram.com/anatomytrainsofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g6TOEFrX4b-CigknssKHA     Precision Neuromuscular Therapy seminars (www.pnmt.org) have been teaching high-quality seminars for more than 20 years. Doug Nelson and the PNMT teaching staff help you to practice with the confidence and creativity that comes from deep understanding, rather than the adherence to one treatment approach or technique. Find our seminar schedule at pnmt.org/seminar-schedule with over 60 weekends of seminars across the country. Or meet us online in the PNMT Portal, our online gateway with access to over 500 videos, 37 NCBTMB CEs, our Discovery Series webinars, one-on-one mentoring, and much, much more! All for the low yearly cost of $167.50. Learn more at pnmt.thinkific.com/courses/pnmtportal!  Follow us on social media: @precisionnmt on Instagram or at Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars on Facebook.   Save your hands for the smaller structures and start getting your clients underfoot! At the Center for Barefoot Massage, we teach you how to enhance your pressure using gravity and physics and help your clients recover from persistent pain through nerd-level anatomical attention to detail—we just happen to use our feet to do it all! From the slow, down-regulating glides of our FasciAshi Fundamentals strokes to the proprioceptive "pattern-interrupts" of our Barefoot Matwork techniques and the resisted movements from our Stretch Therapy class, we offer a complete suite of evidence-based tools for deep, myofascial Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage—we nicknamed our approach "FasciAshi."  Worried about your body size in relation to your clients? Our innovation—the suspended Ashi-strap—allows a more diverse population of massage therapists to regulate and vector their weight and pressure distribution with clinical precision, making deep work effortless on a variety of client bodies. At the Center for Barefoot Massage, we believe the future of massage is afoot! Find when and where our CE classes are happening next at centerforbarefootmassage.com. https://www.instagram.com/heightswellnessretreat/  https://www.facebook.com/heightswellnessretreat/

  8. Jun 16

    Transdermal Transference: "I Have a Client Who . . ." Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner

    A massage therapist notices that more clients are reporting their use of topical hormone medications. Somehow, this never came up in massage school. Is the massage therapist at risk for being dosed? It's possible, but it's nuanced. Listen for more information! Resources: Commissioner, O. of the (2021) Investigation of skin-to-skin transfer risks of topically applied transdermal hormonal drugs, FDA. FDA. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/science-research/fda-stem-outreach-education-and-engagement/investigation-skin-skin-transfer-risks-topically-applied-transdermal-hormonal-drugs (Accessed: June 3, 2026). Could Testosterone Gel Exposure Pose Risk to Close Contacts? (2025) Medscape. Available at: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/could-accidental-exposure-testosterone-gel-risk-your-close-2025a1000qpg (Accessed: June 3, 2026). Estradiol Gel: Uses & Side Effects (no date) Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/20075-estradiol-topical-gel (Accessed: June 4, 2026). Hariri, L. and Rehman, A. (2026) "Estradiol," StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549797/ (Accessed: June 4, 2026). Khan, S. and Sharman, T. (2026) "Transdermal Medications," StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556035/ (Accessed: June 3, 2026). Medication Patches and Implications for Massage Therapy | ABMP (no date). Available at: https://www.abmp.com/Massage-and-Bodywork-Magazine/Issues/julyaugust-2024/medication-patches-and-implications-massage-therapy (Accessed: June 3, 2026). Should I be worried about secondary transfer risk with testosterone gels? (no date). Available at: https://www.trted.org/articles/should-i-be-worried-about-secondary-transfer-of-my-testosterone-gel (Accessed: June 4, 2026). Sjöström, K. et al. (2022) "A review of adverse events in animals and children after secondary exposure to transdermal hormone‐containing medicinal products," Veterinary Record Open, 9(1), p. e48. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/vro2.48. Types of Estrogen Hormone Therapy (no date). Available at: https://www.webmd.com/menopause/which-type-of-estrogen-hormone-therapy-is-right-for-you (Accessed: June 4, 2026). Host Bio:               Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology, now in its seventh edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is also a long-time Massage & Bodywork columnist, most notably of the Pathology Perspectives column. Werner is also ABMP's partner on Pocket Pathology, a web-based app and quick reference program that puts key information for nearly 200 common pathologies at your fingertips. Werner's books are available at www.booksofdiscovery.com. And more information about her is available at www.ruthwerner.com.     Sponsors: 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.     Website: anatomytrains.com     Email: info@anatomytrains.com           Facebook: facebook.com/AnatomyTrains                      Instagram: www.instagram.com/anatomytrainsofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2g6TOEFrX4b-CigknssKHA    Precision Neuromuscular Therapy seminars (www.pnmt.org) have been teaching high-quality seminars for more than 20 years. Doug Nelson and the PNMT teaching staff help you to practice with the confidence and creativity that comes from deep understanding, rather than the adherence to one treatment approach or technique. Find our seminar schedule at pnmt.org/seminar-schedule with over 60 weekends of seminars across the country. Or meet us online in the PNMT Portal, our online gateway with access to over 500 videos, 37 NCBTMB CEs, our Discovery Series webinars, one-on-one mentoring, and much, much more! All for the low yearly cost of $167.50. Learn more at pnmt.thinkific.com/courses/pnmtportal!  Follow us on social media: @precisionnmt on Instagram or at Precision Neuromuscular Therapy Seminars on Facebook.   Save your hands for the smaller structures and start getting your clients underfoot! At the Center for Barefoot Massage, we teach you how to enhance your pressure using gravity and physics and help your clients recover from persistent pain through nerd-level anatomical attention to detail—we just happen to use our feet to do it all! From the slow, down-regulating glides of our FasciAshi Fundamentals strokes to the proprioceptive "pattern-interrupts" of our Barefoot Matwork techniques and the resisted movements from our Stretch Therapy class, we offer a complete suite of evidence-based tools for deep, myofascial Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage—we nicknamed our approach "FasciAshi." Worried about your body size in relation to your clients? Our innovation—the suspended Ashi-strap—allows a more diverse population of massage therapists to regulate and vector their weight and pressure distribution with clinical precision, making deep work effortless on a variety of client bodies. At the Center for Barefoot Massage, we believe the future of massage is afoot! Find when and where our CE classes are happening next at centerforbarefootmassage.com.

See All (584)

4.8
out of 5
102 Ratings

About

Our goal is to speak with luminaries and experts in and around massage and bodywork to help expound upon and better understand our profession and our practices.

Information