Manual Therapy vs. Touch-Based Cueing. Can touch be non-denominational?

Might touch-based cueing be more similar to manual therapy/massage touch than many believe?

Thirty-seven years of a physical therapy career has taught me much but left me confused about just as much. I’ve learned the value of movement, be it presented as strengthening for the remediation of problems or a more generic movement for those same outcomes. I’ve seen the importance of balance, though now I shy away from seeing the solving of issues being dependent on achieving perfect balance. And I’ve seen touch help move people through their dysfunctions, though I no longer worship one form of touch as I once did.  Continue Reading

Building self-determination in our patients

Building self-determination in our patients “What I find so hard to understand is how I continue to improve without seeing you regularly!”These words, paraphrased based on my memory, were recently said to me by a patient. I frustrate new patients when they ask me how frequently they should be seen, and I reply with a… Continue Reading

Wedge Revival

Wedge Revival Recognize these? Various professions use pelvic wedges to “balance the pelvis” or other more nefarious (manipulative) usages. In my early training, I was presented with a decidedly biomechanical model of causation and intervention. If the body is misaligned, this was seen as the cause of problems, along with restricted fascia and emotional stuck-ness… Continue Reading

Are we the modality? A common denominator

Are we the modality? A common denominator

Are we the modality? A common denominator The longer I exist in the world of manual therapy, the more I see little difference between styles of work or modalities. Despite claims of unique access to single tissues or pathologies, all manual therapy is performed in remarkably similar ways. What are the underlying qualities of each… Continue Reading

Putting patient preferences and values back in EBP

Putting patient preferences and values back in EBP

Putting patient preferences and values back in EBP Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been the accepted norm in medicine and rehabilitation for nearly 30 years, though exploration began of its concepts in the early 1970s (Zimerman, 2013). EBP consists of three elements: the best available evidence, the clinician’s knowledge, and skills, and the patient’s wants and… Continue Reading

Mastery: A Dangerous Concept

Mastery: A Dangerous Concept

Mastery: A Dangerous Concept Recently Scott Dartnall, RMT, and I sat down for a talk on the concept of mastery in manual therapies. Keeping humble not only benefits our reputation but also keeps us from avoiding errors. With a higher call for adherence to evidence-based practice (EBP) models of care, clinicians are often caught between… Continue Reading

Flipping the Script

Flipping the Script

Flipping the Script: Shared Decision-Making Hi new patient, I’m the expert. I a physical therapist (no DPT, sorry) with 35 years of experience. Those years include a ton of continuing education and independent research. They include tens of thousands of patient-contact hours. I’ve been an educator in the continuing education field since 1995. With all… Continue Reading

Complexity; simplified

Complexity; simplified

Complexity; simplified Causation in manual therapy scenarios is often discussed as tissue (or pathology) specific issues. But causation is complex, and in this podcast, I joined Rani Lill Anjum, Ph.D. in philosophy at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Rani has authored several books, including Rethinking Causality, Complexity, and Evidence for the Unique Patient, which… Continue Reading

Top Massage Therapy Continuing Education Listing

Top Massage Therapy Continuing Education Listing

Top Massage Therapy Continuing Education Listing I’m honored to be included on Massage & Fitness Magazine’s list of top massage therapy continuing educators. You can read the list at this link. Cheers, Walt Fritz, PT Foundations in Manual Therapy Seminars and The Pain Relief Center www.waltfritz.com Please consider checking out my online course offerings, ,… Continue Reading

Podcasts and Articles

Podcasts and Articles

Walt Fritz, PT’s Podcasts, Videos, and Articles Over the past few years I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in a number of podcasts and interviews that are available for listening. They range from voice/swallowing-specific, to more general interviews that speak to various aspects of the manual therapy work that I teach. Strongly represented are principles… Continue Reading

Person-Focused Manual Therapy and the Singer

Person-Focused Manual Therapy and the Singer

Person-Focused Manual Therapy and the Singer Recently, I had the extreme pleasure to take part in a Facebook Live interview with Rachel Lynes, from The Sing Space. We unpacked a wide range of topics, including does fascia matter, how manual therapy impacts the singer (from tissues right up to the brain), and many more. We… Continue Reading

Downplaying pathology.

Downplaying pathology.

Downplaying pathology. One of my favorite podcasts is Dr. Oliver Thomson’s Words Matter. Through his podcast, Dr. Thomson addresses a wide range of topics relevant to my practice, both as a physical therapist as well as an educator. While an entire hour spent unpacking concepts surrounding the way a clinician approaches a patient presenting with… Continue Reading

New Podcast

New Podcast

New Podcast: Manual therapy in speech therapy, on the Sunshine Speechie I was recently interviewed by Nancy Hillman, for her Sunshine Speechie podcast. You can listen at: Spotify Stitcher Apple Podcasts Cheers, Walt Fritz, PT Foundations in Manual Therapy Seminars and The Pain Relief Center www.waltfritz.com Please consider checking out my online course offering, which… Continue Reading

Hold-times for stretching in manual therapy

Hold-times for stretching in manual therapy I’ve been in the niche of manual therapy for nearly 3 decades. When I entered this world, via myofascial release (MFR) training, hold-times were recommended at a “minimum of 90-120 seconds”, as this was the time it was said to have taken for the fascia to begin to change… Continue Reading

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