Clinical Reflection – 9/10/18

Date Location Total Amount of Hours Overview of Session
 

9/10/18

 

Marjon Sports Clinic

 

1

In this session I practiced the massage techniques focusing predominantly on the calves and hamstrings whilst testing out effective tapotement techniques.

 

 

Reflective Summary                   Areas for further Improvement plus action plan
During this session I explored and practiced the different massage techniques to discover which worked best for me.

Before I started any treatment, I asked the client if they had any contraindications and prepared the trolley. I asked the client if they had any problem areas which they wanted me to focus on and ensured I used correct towelling techniques to protect the client’s modesty. They explained how they had tight calves and hamstrings from the gym a few days prior, so these were areas I worked on during the session.

I started with effleurage to warm up the tissues, improve flexibility and increase blood flow. During this I felt for any areas of injury or tightness, which may need further attention during petrissage. I then used both wringing and kneading (two petrissage techniques) to loosen up the muscles, particularly focusing on the gastrocnemius because this is where most of the tenderness was located. I communicated throughout with the client to find out exactly where the pain was so that I could focus the massage on this area and to ensure none of the treatment was too painful. I then moved onto all of the tapotement techniques but discovered that hacking and beating was the most effective for this particular case so focused on these. I used effleurage in between tapotement and when coming to the end of the massage to ease the muscles and reduce pain.

Once I had finished my massage I advised the client to avoid strenuous exercise for the next 24 hours and to drink plenty of fluid. I also warned them of the likelihood of bruising in the days following the massage and explained how this is normal and not to worry.

I felt like I couldn’t give the most effective treatment to pressure points in the calf due to having limited knowledge on different massage techniques, therefore I feel I will be able to improve on my treatment in the coming weeks once I have learnt soft tissue release. This will allow me to treat patients in a much shorter amount of time to allow me to focus on multiple areas per session.
Returning to reflections at a later date
I have since learnt soft tissue release (STR) and frequently use this during treatments to decrease myofascial trigger points. I find this a very effective technique as it is quick and efficient and allows me to produce sufficient pressure and depth which would not be achievable with massage alone. When using STR I must always ensure I establish a pain scale with the client prior to beginning, to ensure that the level of pressure is suitable to that client.

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