13th December 2021
Hours: 4
Reflection Model
- Gibbs Reflective Cycle 1988
What Happened?
- Attended a health fair to share information about the work we do at Marjon Sport and Health Clinic and to offer short massages to the junior rates.
- It was a really small room and once we had our beds unfolded it seemed even smaller. There were lots of other health services in the same room as us also sharing what work they do and some even had equipment like ourselves, e.g. wattbike and technogym treadmill.
- Once the groups started to come in, the room became very loud and not everyone was eager to recieve a massage. The first individual I had was only willing to take his boots off and roll his trousers up so I did some very basic effleurage and petrissage on the calf complex. His colleagues then stole his boots and he was sat on the bed unsure of what to do next.
- As the day progressed, some were keen to have a back massage. However, we didn’t have time for consultations before hand nor could we really hear what the person was saying.
What were you thinking and feeling?
- I felt really overwhelmed by the situation as I couldn’t see how we were going to successfully offer any massage with such a busy room.
Analysis & Evaluation
- The junior rates seemed to have a great day and it was a great opportunity to talk to the ERI who works with them. However, time was limited on both these accounts so there wasn’t much depth.
- The opportunity highlighted to me that I prefer a ‘controlled’ clinical setting. I have always known I don’t want to work pitch-side due to needing stability rather than travel. I have never been able to volunteer to massage at events such as marathons due to other commitments; however, I feel the set up experienced on this day highlights that I would unlikely enjoy the chaotic nature that these events may bring.
Conclusion
- I feel I operated the best I possibly could in the situation that presented to us on the day. However, not being able to do consults and treating an area that didn’t necessarily need treatment is a first for me on the course. Massage can have a therapeutic effect of stimulating the parasympathetic nervous systems and causing a relaxation response (Weerapong, et al., 2005). Therefore, there may still have been some benefit to the massage that we performed on the day.
Revisiting Reflection
References
- Weerapong, P., Hume, P. A., & Kolt, G. S. (2005). The mechanisms of massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 35(3), 235–256. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535030-00004