In celebration of Til Luchau's upcoming "Ankle Issues" livestreamed course, Til and Whitney pulled one of their favorite ankle-related episodes (#43) out of the archives. Listen in as they geek out on ankle- and foot-related conditions, anatomy, function, biomechanics and more.

Topics include:

• How the structure of the foot/ankle complex determines function
• Are we over over-pronation yet?
• Plantar fasciitis/fasciosis, bunions, hammertoes, and other things you wouldn’t have thought of as ankle issues.

Episode Outline:

• Structure of the foot/ankle complex
  • Medial side deltoid ligament complex
  • Lateral side ATF, CF, PTF
  • How does structure govern function
  • Distal tibiofibular joint & talocrural joint form mortise & tenon
  • Primary supporting ligaments

• Mechanics of the region:
  • Talocrural motions: dorsiflexion & plantarflexion
  • Type I and type II limitations
  • Subtalar motions: inversion & eversion
  • Pronation and supination (definitions and confusion)
  • Phases of gait

• Some common issues/problems
  • Valgus and varus angulations (toes and calcaneal region)
  • “Overpronation”
  • Bunions & hammertoes
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Tendon overuse (Achilles tendon etc.)
  • Trauma: sprains breaks
  • Nerve entrapments mimicking soft-tissue pathology (i.e. tarsal tunnel syndrome, Baxter’s neuropathy, etc.)

Resources and references discussed in this episode:

• Til Luchau’s “ANKLE Issues” livestream course (live Aug 24-25 '24, or later by recording): advanced-trainings.com/workshop/onl2408m/
• Trail Guide to Movement: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout on booksofdiscovery.com
• Whitney Lowe’s site: AcademyOfClinicalMassage.com
• Til Luchau’s site: Advanced-Trainings.com

Podcast anatomy image from Advanced Myofascial Techniques, Volume 1. Used under license from Primal Pictures.

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

About Whitney Lowe | About Til Luchau | Email Us: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com

(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.)

🎙️ In this episode Whitney discusses a 2024 paper on modern manual therapy teaching and practice. The paper describes traditional manual therapy principles, including clinician-centered assessment, pathoanatomical reasoning, and technique specificity, and their criticisms based on recent research. He then outlines a proposed new framework for manual therapy practice and education. Lowe encourages listeners to read the paper and reflect on how these concepts align with or differ from their current practices, aiming to stimulate critical thinking about the evolution of manual therapy approaches in light of current research and understanding.

Watch the video and get the full transcript of their conversation on Til or Whitney's sites:

• Til Luchau’s Advanced-Trainings.com
• Whitney Lowe’s Academy of Clinical Massage

Key Points in the Podcast

1. Introduction to the podcast (0:00-0:30)
2. Discussion of a paper titled "A Modern Way to Teach and Practice Manual Therapy" (0:30-3:50)
3. Overview of traditional manual therapy principles (3:50-9:30)

• Clinician-centered assessment (4:10-6:50)
• Pathoanatomical reasoning (6:50-11:00)
• Technique specificity (11:00-16:00)

Proposed new framework for manual therapy (16:00-23:00)

• Safety in the therapeutic alliance (16:30-18:00)
• Creating a comfortable environment (18:00-19:30)
• Efficiency in therapy delivery (19:30-21:00)
• Communication and context (21:00-22:00)
• Person-centered care (22:00-23:00

Implications for teaching and practice (23:00-29:00)

• Challenges in reframing teaching methods (23:30-25:30)
• Importance of safety, comfort, and person-centered care (25:30-27:30)
• Questions for practitioners to consider (27:30-29:00)

Resources:

A Modern Way to Teach and Practice Manual Therapy: https://bit.ly/45tGfHj

Sponsor Offers:

• Books of Discovery: save 15% by entering "thinking" at checkout at 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

About Whitney Lowe | About Til Luchau | Email Us: info@thethinkingpractitioner.com (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.)