Clinical Reflection – 16/10/18

Date Location Total Amount of Hours Overview of Session
16/10/18 Marjon Sports Clinic            1 Massage of forearm and hand

 

 

Reflective Summary Areas for further Improvement plus action plan
Client complaining of decreased range of movement (ROM), achiness and dull pain on medial border of ulna of the left arm following a broken wrist which resulted in them being in a cast for six months.

Due to having a lack of knowledge so far of the forearm, I asked a member of staff in the clinic to give me some advice on the most suitable treatment for the area. They helped me to test the client’s ROM of the wrist and palpate whilst the client performed different wrist exercises to establish the route of the pain/injury. They concluded that it was likely to be a ligament weakness and advised the client to improve their strength by squeezing a stress ball each morning. This was really useful to observe a qualified sports therapist assess a client.

I tested their ROM in the injured arm and it was significantly lower than the ROM on the right arm/wrist. To improve this, I applied effleurage to increase the temperature of the fascia, spread the massage medium and get the client used to touch. Upon palpation, I could feel a tightness in the muscle around the dorsal aspect of the ulna. I then performed petrissage in this area to relax the muscles, increase flexibility of the muscle fibers and get deeper into the area.

Following the treatment, I retested ROM and it had improved slightly.

 

 

Learn the wrist and forearm anatomy and read 2 journal articles about common wrist injuries and the effects of long-term cast use.

 

Returning to reflections at a later date
I have since learnt the anatomy of the forearm and hand which will be very useful for me when massaging a client’s arm in the future, as it will allow me to have a greater understanding of what muscles I am palpating.

I have also learnt muscular energy techniques, which I will use with the client to improve their ROM.

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