Hands and Hammer

How do I balance my love of science, with my fascination of woo? Well I really try to stay grounded in the science, and understand how studies are done. Links to things I mentioned: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_evidence https://evidencebasedbirth.com/ebb-2-what-is-evidence-based-care/ Extra podcast episode I just found if you want to delve deeper into this subject: https://www.shoulderphysio.com/podcasts/the-shoulder-physio-podcast/episodes/2147653773

Probably a boring podcast, slightly better in video form as I demonstrate a couple things, but hopefully you still get something out of this. Feel free to check out my website: www.HandsandHammer.com Or email me directly: [email protected]

The Dragon and the Snail. In this episode I discuss how you don’t need to be like a dragon, even snails can make great strides in progress and travel far distances. It takes dedication and perseverance, but it also takes less than you might think to make progress at a desired task. Below are links to articles mentioned in the episode. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaoka_Tessh%C5%AB https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf https://time.com/6242876/short-workouts-health-benefits/#:~:text=One%202022%20study%20found%20that,physical%20activity%20to%20extended%20longevity.

A shorter episode where I talk about my recent loss, my grieving process, and a little bit about how grief is viewed in Chinese medicine.

Ever wonder if you should use ice or heat for an injury? Well, I go into way too much detail on the subject here. Did you know that ice might not actually help with inflammation and swelling? Or how heat can actually block pain receptors? But if you just want the short answer, use ice for acute injuries and heat for chronic ones. But as with everything, there are some confusing details, and I do my best to explain them for you so that you can make the right decision for your situation. https://www.painscience.com/articles/icing-heating-tissue-depth.php https://www.painscience.com/articles/heating.php https://www.painscience.com/articles/icing.php https://www.painscience.com/articles/contrasting.php https://www.physio-pedia.com/Thermotherapy https://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/why-ice-delays-recovery.html episode 6 :https://www.thethinkingpractitioner.com/e/06-overuse-tendon-disorders/ Contrast Therapy and Heat Therapy in Subacute Stage of Grade I and II Lateral Ankle Sprains: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27036491/ Heat therapy for primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis of its effects on pain relief and quality of life: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30389956/ Mechanisms and efficacy of heat and cold therapies for musculoskeletal injury: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25526231/ Is ice right? Does cryotherapy improve outcome for acute soft tissue injury?: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18212134/ The use of ice in the treatment of acute soft-tissue injury: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14754753/ Topical cooling (icing) delays recovery from eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22820210/

What is a narrative and why does it matter? In this episode I discuss the idea of a narrative and the many things it might be capable of. This includes aspects of history, culture, medicine, and beyond. I think the concepts I cover in this episode are important and will be deeply reflected in future episodes. Things I mentioned in the episode: Gus Casely-Hayford's Ted Talk "The powerful stories that shaped Africa":https://youtu.be/hfznpykprP0 Matthew Sanford's interview on the podcast On Being: https://onbeing.org/programs/matthew-sanford-the-bodys-grace-2/ The Thinking Practitioner podcast with Til Luchau and Whitney Lowe:https://www.thethinkingpractitioner.com/

Notes: One thing I should have added when discussing buildings. Building requirements have changed over the years, some of them for the better, such as requiring sturdier bases, deeper foundations, and more insulation (at least here in Maine). That said other codes don’t make sense to me and just seem redundant and like they are just there to cost the homebuilder more money and time (some towns have excessively redundant electrical precaution requirements). The goat farm I worked on: Cleire Goats, http://www.capeclearisland.ie/GoatFarm The book I mentioned: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by James Nestor

In this episode I discuss a lot of different kinds of Massage. This is a brief overview of different styles and what the names really mean. Spoiler: a lot of names don't tell you as much as you might think. Here’s the list of all the styles I talk about: Swedish, deep tissue, relaxation, sports massage, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, thai massage, acupressure, shiatsu, tui-na, anma, reflexology, craniosacral, lymph drainage, lomi lomi, hot stone, aromatherapy, Rolfing, and structural integration And here are a few links to things I mentioned in the episode: http://massagenerd.com/ https://www.thethinkingpractitioner.com/ https://anchor.fm/concast Edit: I got the history of Anma massage confused, it came after Tuina, it's actually Japanese, and is the precursor to shiatsu. Sorry for that everyone!

In this episode I discuss energy work. What it might be, what it might not be, and if it might be real or fake? I propose some rationale of how it might be real, and I confront some of the claims that I have a hard time trusting. I try to discuss what might be scientific, what might be based in belief, and what might be something else entirely. So, what are your thoughts? Do you agree with me, disagree, or have totally different ideas to add?  Things I mention in the episode you may be interested in looking into further:  Muscle Testing (also called Applied Kinesiology): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_kinesiology  Reiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki  Mind Body and Kickass Moves (Ep. 4): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008flc3  ConCast episode on trigger points: https://anchor.fm/concast/episodes/Episode-18-Trigger-points-edelcd  Bonus! Another ConCast episode on potential mechanics of how reiki might work: https://anchor.fm/concast/episodes/Episode-26-Does-reiki-work-efqi9t

Hello world. I'm a massage therapist and a blacksmith, and I'm trying a new thing. Let me know what you think, be it good or bad. This podcast is just an introduction to who I am, but future episodes will be talks and discussions on all sorts of topics. Anything that might involve hands, hammers, massage, health, art, or whatever else I might want to talk about.