Therapeutics Archives

Touch, Oxytocin & Autism

July 19, 2026April 2, 2024 by Drew Hume

In my last post we talked about touch, Oxytocin and the social bonding that occurs as a result of the physical contact that produces Oxytocin release. The conversation of touch, Oxytocin and social bonding leads us into a conversation about autism. So here we are – let’s explore this. A couple of things that are … Read more

Fascial stretch – what is it?

October 9, 2024May 8, 2023 by Drew Hume

It’s a really commonly used term these days, but what does fascial stretch even mean? You might think it’s an easy situation of the fascia getting pulled on in order to make it longer. But that’s not really it, or at least it’s more complex than that. All stretching technically includes the fascia – so … Read more

Can massage break up adhesions? Here’s the nuance.

July 19, 2026January 4, 2023 by Drew Hume

It looks unlikely for the most part. At least in the context of how we medically understand adhesions. I’ll go into more detail about “the most part” below, because of course it’s not as simple as”no”. We’re tackling this because manual therapies all over the globe have made the claim that they can break up … Read more

Is Massage Detoxifying?

October 27, 2021 by Drew Hume

I bet you’ve been told before that “massage is detoxifying”. But is it actually? In short – it’s more likely that it’s the opposite: slightly (and temporarily) toxic! Yep, you read that correctly. Let me explain. Typically when we think of a “toxin” we usually think of substances that we don’t want in our bodies. … Read more

Why “listening to your body” is much more complicated than you think.

October 9, 2020 by Drew Hume

In both movement and manual therapy circles, there are a lot of discussion about pain, pain-avoidance, “listening to your body” and so on as it relates to the “right” way to move or apply manual technique. In this article, I address these ideas with the latest in pain research, which explains to us that this … Read more

Your neck needs this

May 13, 2020 by Drew Hume

For everyone with neck stuff – try this out, let me know how it goes: If you liked this, you might also like this free foot massage tutorial over here!

Bunions & Big Toe Deviation – Genetics or Environment?

March 18, 2020June 20, 2019 by Drew Hume

This is the first of a series that is designed to target common conditions and “trouble spots” in the body and give you a greater understanding of what could be going on and also providing some tools to help the process of improving function (and how it feels).

Do muscles actually “lengthen” with flexibility training?

March 18, 2020May 13, 2019 by Drew Hume

Especially in movement education, we hear a lot of talk about how flexibility training can give people longer muscles, like hamstrings for example. But is that actually what’s happening? Let’s zoom in and take a closer look at what flexibility training does.

Question everything you think you know about pain.

July 31, 2019July 21, 2018 by Drew Hume

Pain is not what you think it is. This article is a culmination of an important email series that tackles some of the most mind-blowing facts about pain! A subject this important and this complex takes time to dissect and present, so even though you’ll need a bit of time here, it’s worth it. Not only will this tutorial help you to understand pain better, as long as you utilize the information within, it should also lead to better self-management of pain.

To start with, I want to tell you that pain is all in your head.

Wrist Ganglion & Wrist Pain Exercises

March 18, 2020March 10, 2018 by Drew Hume

Many people suffer from both ganglions and generalized pain in the wrists. The exercises below are designed to help reduce both of these things. These exercises come from personal experience, where my own ganglion cyst in my right wrist has shrunk, and is no longer painful after having done these exercises religiously for a month. I avoided surgery with them (cancelled my appointment)!

That May Not Really Be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome…

March 18, 2020November 26, 2017 by Drew Hume

As one of the more common diagnoses that gets thrown around these days, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a term that most households have heard of. The problem is, a significant number of people are misdiagnosed. This means, many people are having unnecessary surgical operations.

Runner’s Knee – the Myth & the Solution

October 21, 2020November 2, 2017 by Drew Hume

If you like to run, you may have experienced the phenomenon of runner’s knee before. It’s incredibly uncomfortable and it’s often improperly treated, making the recovery more painful and slower than it needs to be.

8 GOOD Things About The Plantar Fascia That No One Talks About

April 20, 2018July 30, 2017 by Drew Hume

Often we only hear about the plantar fascia when it comes to pain. It gets blamed for a lot of things, not all of which are warranted. It also commonly gets removed or cut as a suggested “solution” to the things it gets blamed for. This is a grave mistake. There’s a whole lot of good that the plantar fascia does for you, that you probably don’t know about.

Delicious Pain. It’s Actually A Real Thing In Massage.

September 13, 2023July 9, 2017 by Drew Hume

When it comes to massage pressure, there’s a full spectrum of “intensity”. Some people prefer less pressure, while others like more generous pressure. Quite often this is associated with their tolerance for, or their preference for sensation. Yet, it’s not quite that simple. Pain is never that simple.

Secrets Of A Great Scalp Massage (4 Tips To Bliss)

June 22, 2017June 16, 2017 by Drew Hume

Never underestimate the power of a great scalp massage to release tension, de-stress and send someone into a deeply relaxed state. It’s something that we can all do for family and friends, and there are 4 top-tips to practice below. Also, there’s a video at the end with the basics reiterated!

Does Massage Release “Toxins”? And What Actually Are “Toxins”?

May 14, 2017May 1, 2017 by Drew Hume

I’m glad you asked! So here’s the thing, there’s a lot of misunderstanding about what toxins actually are, so let’s tackle that first.

The truth about toxins.

Toxins is a word that is thrown around a lot. Too much in fact. Without really being understood.

Trigger Points: Those “Money Spots” in Massage.

May 22, 2019March 18, 2017 by Drew Hume

When you hear [or say] “I have knots in my back”, you’re really being told about a range of different physiological phenomena. One of these, and possibly the most common, is myofascial trigger points (TrPs). They can show up almost anywhere in your body, and they can seemingly have no known cause. TrPs can also cause a surprising amount of pain and discomfort, and their patterns of pain aren’t generally localized to the area of insult, but often referred to other regions of the body. Trigger Points are tricky beasts that can create surprisingly intense and odd sensations given that the physiology behind them is relatively subtle.

Tendinosis Is Far More Common Than Tendinitis

September 2, 2018February 10, 2017 by Drew Hume

Building on a previous post where I mentioned that Plantar Fasciitis should more accurately be referred to as “Plantar Fasciosis“, we’re revisiting that discussion in more depth. It’s important to understand the physiological differences in these conditions, because it helps us to provide more effective treatment. More appropriate treatment means faster recovery with less chance of re-injury.

Thai Massage & Scoliosis

March 18, 2020December 7, 2016 by Drew Hume

About 3 percent of people around the world have scoliosis, the majority of whom are girls and women (reference). Scoliosis is characterized by a lateral/sideways “S” or “C” curve in the spine. Depending on the severity of an individual’s curvature, it can have a significant impact on breathing and the functioning of certain organs. Different strategies and interventions exist to try and prevent scoliosis from getting worse or reverse it altogether. Before we delve into the role that Thai Massage can play, here are some essentials.

Just Because It Hurts Doesn’t Make It A “Deep Tissue Massage”.

December 2, 2016November 23, 2016 by Drew Hume

When you think of a “deep tissue massage” you’re typically led to believe that this is going to be an inherently painful experience. This misconception is a widely believed notion. Not only should deep tissue massage NOT be painful, I’m going to tell you that if it’s painful it’s not actually as deep tissue as you want it to be.