Til Luchau is already established as one of the US’ top massage experts, and is now rapidly making a name for himself in the UK. He’ll be making his first – much anticipated appearance at camexpo this weekend, examining some of the types, causes, and treatment approaches for sciatic pain.
Til Luchau is the author of Advanced Myofascial Techniques, Vol 1, published by Handspring Press. A certified Advanced Rolfer, he was on the faculty of the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration for over 20 years – during which time he originated the Skillful Touch Bodywork modality. He is the director of Advanced-Trainings.com, and his popular trainings for manual therapy practitioners have over 4,000 alumni on six continents.
Who or what has been the biggest influence on your career?
My clients (and the clients and patients of the practitioners that come to our trainings). Even with all the amazing mentors and role-models (good and bad) that I’ve been fortunate to have, it has been my clients, their pain, challenges, heartache, joys, and successes that keep me motivated and inspire me. And more and more, it’s the stories brought in for supervision by participants in our trainings. There’s a lot of pain out there; a lot of it is avoidable; and when it’s not, even then there are ways to keep helping.
What’s your most memorable work moment?
Wow. I’m not going to describe the first one that comes to mind, other than saying it was a learning experience, and I probably should have reported the client to someone. As it was, I think I just said “I think we’re done here” and left the room.
What’s the single biggest challenge in your work?
Having to say no. I still try to do everything. It used to be clients’ pain that I couldn’t fix; but after a 3-year bout with my own severe ongoing pain, I learned that the real work starts when the pain won’t go away. I can usually help people with their pain, but not always. I don’t like it when my clients still hurt, but there are still a lot of ways I can be helpful.
What’s one emerging trend or research that anyone working in your field should know?
We aren’t just matter.
Do you expect complementary therapies to play a larger role in primary care in the years to come?
If not, it’ll only be because they’ve been integrated into ‘conventional’ care.
What tips and advice would you give someone who is just starting their career in health care/complementary medicine?
Find your gifts (which will overlap with your passions, but not always be the same thing). Get all the experience you can using those gifts, in different settings, with different populations and problems. Keep learning.
What are the key points you’ll be covering in your Keynote at this year’s camexpo?
I’ll be focussing on sciatic pain as a way to understand how nerves work, how nerves are related to the fasciae that they’re surrounded by, and set us
In addition to your Keynote, why would you recommend practitioners/therapists visit camexpo?
Haven’t been yet, but sounds like there will be a lot to learn about and experience. Looking forward!
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