Date: 09.11.18

Location: Plymouth Marjon University

Total amount of hours: 12

In this session, a female client aged 49 was treated and had complaints of upper back and shoulder pain. This is due to her job at a supermarket which includes pushing heavy objects for long hours.

The massage began by asking the client about any contraindications which included any allergy information, previous or current injuries etc. When beginning with a light effleurage to help to introduce touch as well as help warm up the muscle, it was noticed how there was a large amount of tightness within the upper fibres of the trapezius.  Petrissage techniques were then applied which included some kneading and wringing. This helped to work deeper into the muscle fibres and identify any knots within the muscle.

After finding some knots around the scapula and the upper trapezius, neuromuscular techniques were applied. By looking for these myofascial trigger points, this helped to help to decrease pain within the muscle and help removal of any tender lumps within the muscle. To perform this technique, the client was asked to identify on a pain scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most painful, when the amount of pressure applied causes pain around 7 on the scale. This pressure was applied for 30 seconds. Although a lot of pain was caused for the client due to the tightness of the muscle, using this technique did help to reduce pain and tightness within the effected areas.

The session was completed by massaging the upper fibres of the trapezius as this seemed to be the area which caused the most pain for the client and was the tightest part of the back. This was done through using effleurage and petrissage techniques.

At the end of the session the client gave feedback that they felt much more relaxed and there had been a decrease in pain around the upper back and shoulders. However, it is likely that another session will be needed to apply some stretching techniques to the muscles of the upper trapezius and neck.