Once I had set up my workspace I got the client to lay in the prone position on the bed. From the information that they had told me at the start of the session I decided to work on the lower part of the back. I did this as it could have influenced the tingling feeling in the leg. As well as this I worked on the hamstrings and gastrocnemii. I started on the lower back using effleurage to increase the blood flow and petrissage to allow us to get deeper into the muscle tissue and decrease tension. I also used tapotement (mainly hacking) that can stimulate local circulation as well as assisting in peristalsis. I palpated the lower back to see if there was any tightness and I noticed there was muscle spasm on the right side of the lower back. I then applied neuromuscular technique using the pressure of my thumb to stop blood flow then when I released the pressure it caused a rush of blood to the area. I massaged the gastrocnemii mainly using kneading and wringing to increase circulation. My main focus of the leg was the hamstrings to try and control the tingling feeling that the client felt. I used a variety of massage techniques including effleurage, petrissage, tapotement and soft tissue release to try and relieve the pain.

Areas for further improvement 

I believe my main area for improvement is focussing on using different techniques other than massage. This is because it will put less strain on your hands and alternative methods are generally a much quicker way of achieving the same thing as you would with massage. I also need to practice the methods that I am not as confident on such as vibrations, frictions and muscular energy techniques instead of avoiding using them.

Things to Remember 

1. Change the bed height so that it is a comfortable position for you when your massaging
2. Anatomy is the basis of massage so its important to be knowledgeable on it
3. Different techniques may be more effective on certain clients so its important to use a wide range to see what works best on them