Tools from my past, reflecting on change. by Walt Fritz, PT Recognize those objects in the photo? They are pelvic wedges, used by some health professionals for a variety of reasons. Most rationales center around their use to balance the asymmetrical pelvis. I learned why and how to use them in a myofascial release (MFR)… Continue Reading
Manual Therapy: A Conversation with Walt Fritz on the NiceSpeechlady website Wilson Nice, SLP, interviewed me for an article on her website. In articles like this, I get a chance to unpackaged things a bit and Wilson leads me through a series of questions to speak more about the role I play in the speech-language… Continue Reading
This is a repost of an article by my colleague Jamie Johnston. Jamie is a British Columbia-based RMT, owner of the Massage Therapist Development Centre, a website packed with information. Jamies is among a small but growing group of professionals who are breaking free of the culture of the tribalism inherent in many manual therapy… Continue Reading
Applying patient preferences and values in the EBP model How do you put into practice the 1/3 of the evidence-based practice (EVP) model that involves patient preferences and values? Information seems rather scarce when I explore the websites of ASHA, RCSLT, and the APTA, though all are replete with recommendations on choosing proper evidence and… Continue Reading
The feeling of a voice (or any other) issue What does it FEEL like? -The Feeling of a Voice IssueThe approach used in my Foundations in Manual Therapy: Voice and Swallowing Disorders requires a bit of a different framing of the issue. Traditionally problems, be they voice, swallowing, or a variety of other issues facing… Continue Reading
Crossed-arm syndrome The past decade seems to have been about losing friends. Leagues of MFR-type friends have gone away, no doubt due to my counter-culture statements and posts questioning much of what I was taught in my MFR training. I bid them a happy goodbye. So I suppose it’s time to alienate another cohort group;… Continue Reading
Podcast with The Knowledge Exchange on Biopsychosocial Aspects of Manual Therapy I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend an hour today with Sydney, Australia-based personal trainer, exercise scientist, and exercise physiologist Daniel Pablo Arbillo. We spoke at-length about incorporating aspects of the biopsychosocial approach in manual therapy and, specifically, how my approach… Continue Reading
Anatomy Matters … But Which Anatomy? As a contribution to the NiceSpeechLady website/blog, I wrote an article about the way we view anatomy. It is important, but how do you view this importance? How does anatomy influence your evaluation and intervention? You can read the article here. Cheers, Walt Fritz, PT Foundations in Manual Therapy… Continue Reading
I can take it… Manual therapy, myofascial release, massage, and the host of other touch-based interventions often rely on the perception of the clinician’s expertise to gauge pressures. Patients will often give up power to the therapist in order to (try to) feel better, though isn’t that an odd arrangement? Allowing someone else to decide… Continue Reading
“Would you pay for that?” As an educator in the continuing education setting, I occasionally get a participant in one of my seminars who seems resistive to what I’m sharing. While I’ve not had any full-blown hecklers (I’m confident that that day will come) but I have had a few who seem utterly unimpressed by my… Continue Reading
Finding my voice: A patient-centered perspective In the latest edition of Massage & Fitness Magazine, I was asked to contribute an article relating to touch. The current issue is devoted to what might be happening beneath your skin (and in your brain) when we touch or are touched. Nicolas Ng, the publisher of Massage & Fitness Magazine,… Continue Reading
21 Questions: Manual Therapy for Voice and Swallowing Disorders July 2023: While this post is dated regarding the title of my work (I evolved away from “Myofascial release/MFR” and into “manual therapy” due to issues of credibility), the content remains quite relevant. The playlist has expanded well beyond the original 21 videos to give the… Continue Reading
In a recent issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a comprehensive 14-year study was released involving over 50,000 people who walked regularly. Results showed that when each person was allowed to describe their pace, self-described fast walkers saw a decrease in overall morbidity as well as the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. These were… Continue Reading
Urged on my peers on both sides of the argument, here is an initial version of what I hope becomes a more permanent way to describe the work I use and teach. Comments, suggestions, and criticisms are always welcome (post below). Edits will be made to this post as comments come forward, both here as well… Continue Reading
The Changing Face of Myofascial Release “My work is called Myofascial Release due to the style of engagement that most resembles traditional gentle, sustained myofascial release treatment. While a popular belief, I no longer believe that I am able to singularly and selectively target fascia (connective tissue) beneath the skin to the exclusion of all other tissues, as many… Continue Reading
I originally intended to post these comments to a blog on one of the manual therapy/massage magazines, one giving some pretty special power to one named modality (OK, craniosacral therapy) and its ability to improve a disorder (autism) that effects thousands of people and their families, but I realized that my comments would have sidetracked… Continue Reading
