For this hour I treated a power lifter who complained of achiness in their groin area.
Reflective Summary
In this session I treated a client who complained of a dull ache in the groin area. When I did the objective assessment, I did not notice any abnormal characteristics with posture, muscle bulk etc however, on palpation there was tightness in the upper groin. When testing range of movement (ROM) of the hip, the client only got pain in the groin during adduction. A functional movement that they also struggled with was a deep squat. In the execution phase when the knee was in maximum flexion they experienced a sharp pain in the area causing aggravation. I then got the client in a supine position sat up and started the treatment using soft tissue massage. I used effleurage and petrissage to release some of the tension by increasing the blood circulation. My client’s feedback about the massage was very positive as they stated that “it felt so much better after the massage”.
Areas for further improvement
My first area for improvement is to make better use of the bolster in order to get the client in a good position so you can access the particular area. For example, to start with I could not access all of the groin area. This meant that half way though the treatment I had to adapt my towelling technique in order to access the whole area, especially where the patient complained of pain. I also need to place the bolster underneath the leg I am massaging so the client can be as comfortable as possible. The final thing that I forgot to check was to ensure that the patient did not have any contraindications (cancer, inadequate circulation, open wounds) or allergies to the massage mediums.
Things to remember
- Get the client in the most suitable position depending on the area you want to treat
- As men tend to have harrier legs you will more than likely need to apply more massage medium
- For larger clients you may have to adapt the techniques in order to achieve the same thing