Why Olympians Trust This Massage Therapist - Don Butzner, LMT

Olympians trust massage therapist Don Butzner, LMT—and in this episode, he explains what elite athletes actually need from bodywork when the world is watching. Don has worked with Ashton Eaton and Brianna Theisen-Eaton, traveled for high-level competition (including Rio 2016), and served as lead massage therapist for the USA Track & Field Outdoor Olympic Trials.Jason Young, DC and Kathy Lynch, DPT talk with Don about sports massage vs “spa massage,” muscle energy technique (MET), pre-event prep vs post-event flushing, pressure at the Olympic level, and why “everyone is an athlete” if they have performance goals. Plus: a hilarious game of real vs fake massage techniques (yes, elephant massage comes up).Chapters: 00:00 Olympic-level recovery cold open (hamstrings = brisket)01:18 Welcome + Don’s elite track & field credentials02:53 Don’s origin story: chiro school → sports massage07:43 What “Muscle Energy Technique” is (and why it works)15:18 Strap-in rapid stretching + nervous system “wake-up” for speed27:45 Olympics story: the credential scramble (almost arrested)56:36 Game: Real vs Fake massage techniques (elephant massage?!)