Client Review
Client 1
My first client was a male who came to me with a high amount of tension in their calves with an emphasis on their right calve as well as equal tension within both of their quadriceps. This is shown on the postural images provided. In addition, prior to massage I performed a postural assessment on my client which I recorded in a report format which I later explained and provided feedback on post massage. The purpose of this assessment was to establish and make aware of any miss-alignments or postural defects that I could then focus on during the massage. As seen in the images provided, it highlights the areas which the client stated he was having issues with. Additionally, we also established that this client had been suffering from chin splints.
After the postural assessment, the massage could take place, during this time I took the liberty to ask my client if they had a preferred choice of either oil or cream to use during the massage. My client chose oil. In addition, oil allows for more of a slide/glide to take place during the massage whereas cream allows for a deeper tissue massage. With that being said, both utilities are of significant value. Once this choice was established I began the massage with calves. Started from the bottom and working up is recommended and considered good practice as it is usually best to work towards the heart. I began with the basic technique of effleurage to get the targeted muscle warm by forcing blood flow there carrying fresh oxygen and nutrients which will aid in the removing of waste products produced by the massage. I found that there was a tremendous amount of tension in regards to their upper lateral area of the right calve. This was due to neglection of stretching post football training which my client made me aware of in the initial consultation. Due to this, I ensured that I spent 7 minutes on each individual calve as these muscles required particular attention. During this area I used techniques such as; hacking, cupping and thumb Kneading.
Once both calves were massaged effectively, I proceeded to effleurage the hamstrings. Straight off, it was evident that the client was suffering from a high amount of tension in the upper and medial area of the muscle. It was apparent to me that this required some much needed attention in order to relief the client of some pain and discomfort they may be experiencing. Thus, I spent 10 minutes on each hamstring to ensure tension was released and blood flow was clear to see. Furthermore, the three techniques I used on this area was; hacking, prayer chop and forearm pressure. These techniques allowed me to perform a deep tissue massage ultimately causing a release in tightness and tension.
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From the information I gathered within the initial consultation, it was brought to my knowledge that my client once again frequently failed to perform stretching exercises post training session. Consequently, their muscles (hamstrings) tightened up causing them to not only build up waste products but also cause them to be tender and tight. This tightness could also be causing the tendons associated with that area to pull on their muscle further causing them amplified pain and tension. I later provided my client with corrective information on how to aid in their relief. I recommended that they should make it a priority to execute stretches more specifically, static stretches post every training session.
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On completion of this muscle, I then began to effleurage the client’s quadriceps. Moreover, I found during this part of the session that this area had some mild tension however, nothing in comparison to the client’s hamstrings. Furthermore, I spent the least amount of time within this area as this did not require as much attention due to less tension build up. I used techniques such as; hacking, cupping and thumb kneading to massage the area and relief the mild tension that was present.
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I then proceeded to effleurage the client’s back. In addition, it was apparent that the client was experiencing tension and stiffness in regards to their upper back (thoracic) region. The techniques I used for their back were as followed; hacking, cupping, sweeping, prayer chop and a special technique which require me to put each individual arm separately behind their back to allow me to lift their shoulder (in a relaxed state) which then permitted me to massage deep into their shoulder blade, rhomboids and traps. Furthermore, I also performed a spinal alignment check in accomplish to spinal rocking and the six-point pressure massage technique.
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On completion of the massage it was made clear to the client that they must take their time when sitting up off the bed and getting dressed as a massage can leave their bodies feeling taxed and fatigued. I provided the client with feedback in regards to their current state of tension, treatment techniques to follow to reduce the tension within their areas touched upon and the recommendation of the intake of water post massage. During a massage the release of waste products is removed from the muscle tissue and left to enter the blood system. By ensuring that an optimal amount of water is consumed, this will allow for the removal of waster products via urination. The total duration of this massage was 60 minutes.
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Client 2
My second client was another male who came to me with tension in multiple parts of their body. Due to this, a full body massage was performed. Unlike my first client, this one preferred cream which allowed me to perform a deeper muscle tissue massage. Prior to beginning, I performed a postural assessment on the client; this provided me with the information I needed such in regards to medical and postural information to help give me a more effective massage. It also gave provided me a basic guideline on which areas I needed to focus on as can be seen in the images provided. In addition, I found out there were no medical or postural problems which would affect the massage.
I started by performing effleurage on my client’s calves with cream as the aid. This forced blood into the area and warmed up the muscle, ready for the massage techniques. Moreover, as I went deeper into the massage I noticed both their calves were in an optimal state with little to no tension, even when applying a 7 or 8 pressure point technique. As a result, I spent 7 minutes on each calve as no longer than this was required.
Once the calves were completed, I then proceeded to effleurage the client’s hamstrings. In addition, I found that both hamstrings were extremely tight causing a gross amount of tension. This was emphasized more in regards to the semitendinosus. Moreover, this particular client was an avid football player who trained two times per week with one day consisting of a match. Due to this, the client was putting his hamstrings under a lot of tension and not ensuring that static stretches were performed after each one of those sessions. This caused the hamstring to tighten up dramatically which ultimately was causing the high level of tension he was experiencing. Furthermore, to combat this tension I used techniques such as hacking, cupping, transverse effleurage and forearm pressure. Thus, these techniques helped to breakdown the muscle fibres, making them loose and releasing built up tension with the muscles. Finally, I spent a total of 8 minutes on each hamstring.
On completion of my client’s hamstrings, I then began to effleurage their back. On reference to the client’s postural assessment it can be seen that they marked their upper back and traps as the area that was causing them the most discomfort and tension. Due to this, I spent the most time massaging this area ensuring that 10 minutes was spent on each side of the back with an extra emphasis on the thoracic region and the traps leading up. It was noted that this client had a slight elevation of around 1 cm in regards to the right side of their upper back (rhomboids). According to the client’s assessment, this was from a shoulder dislocation that occurred 1 year ago. Furthermore, I used the following techniques to ensure an effective break down of muscle and release of tension was made; hacking, cupping, transverse effleurage, forearm pressure and stripping under the shoulder blade. In addition, I also checked the client’s spinal alignment as well as using the spinal rocking technique and the 6-point pressure to ensure optimal tension was released.
Upon completion of the client’s back massage, I let them know that they could get dressed, ensuring that taking their time was imperative as they could feel fatigued or dizzy from the massage. Once the client was ready we proceeded with the providing of feedback. Moreover, during their feedback I made them aware of not attending the gym or any form of exercise for the rest of the day as this could undo all the tension release that I has just achieved. In addition, I recommended they consume at least a pint of water as soon as possible after the feedback was given. This will help remove all of the waste products that I released into the blood stream to eventually be urinated out. This massage took a total of 1 hour and 4 minutes.
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Client 3
My third and final client was a female who came to me with calve and hamstring issues. Furthermore, the medium I used was massage cream as this was the client's preferred choice. However, before I began the massage I performed a postural assessment; this gave me information such as medical and postural information which I required to aid me in executing a more effective massage. In addition, this also gave me a basic guideline on what areas the client needed more time and focus on as seen in the images provided.
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Once again, I began with the effleurage technique on the client’s left calve. Immediately, I found a gross amount of tension within this area, so much so that the client could not bear a level three pressure test. In addition, I also found tension in the client’s right calve but not to the extent of her left. Due to this great deal of tightness and tension, I ensured 10 minutes were spent on each calve to allow for an effective muscle break down to occur. Furthermore, I used techniques such as; hacking, thumb kneading, cupping and chopping. Chopping was performed by the elevation of the client’s lower leg at the knee joint, ensuring the sole of her toes were pointing to the ceiling. This allowed me to focus on the specific areas of the calve that were most tense.
Upon completion of the clients calve massage, I then moved on to effleurage their hamstrings. During this process, I noticed that tension was not as ample as with the client’s calves however, mild tension and tightness were still evident to see. In addition, my client was experiencing the most tension in their semitendinosus in regards to both hamstrings. A knot was also apparent is her left hamstring, which I ensured time was spent to loosen off this area with the following techniques; hacking, petrissage, circular frictions, a cupping tool, and forearm pressure. These techniques enabled me to break down the muscle fibres, release some tension and provide the client with pain relief.
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The final area of my client I massaged was her back, more specifically, her rhomboids and traps. In addition, I started off with the effleurage technique to encourage blood flow to the area as well as achieving an optimal warm up for that muscle. Once the muscle was warmed up, I began to perform my first technique, hacking. During the massage, I noticed a high amount of tension with the areas she pointed out within her postural assessment (rhomboids and traps). Consequently, I ensured an ample amount of time was spent on this area as this time was required to allow for the breakdown of muscle fibres and tension release to occur. In addition, I used a technique of ‘stripping under the shoulder blades’ to allow for me to get deep into her shoulder rear deltoids, deep traps and rhomboids. Immediate, after using this technique the release of tension was evident, as the surround muscles which moments ago, were tight were now loose. This is due to tension being released and the muscles being encouraged to let go. Furthermore, I performed a single point pressure release in regards to her traps as moderate tension and tightness were located here. I informed the client to breath in and hold their breath for ten seconds whilst I perform this and then release as I gradually ease off. Moreover, additional techniques were later used to check spinal alignment such as; spinal rocking and simply checking the straightness and the depth of my client’s spine using my two fingers and following the spine from bottom to top. This massage took a total of 1 hour.
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After the massage, my client and myself had a summarisation/discussion in relation to what precautions she should take after the massage such as, taking her time due to her muscles being fatigued. This could also cause the client to lose her sense of balance as her muscles have been loosen, causing them to not be as strong as they were prior to undergoing the massage. In addition, I advised her to drink plenty of water since massage releases waste products into the blood stream. By the client consuming an optimal amount of water, she will eventually urinate the waste products out of her body altogether.
Once that was covered, I provided feedback in regards to her body’s current state the state, making recommendations. I recommended that my client continue undergoing sports massages to continue that relief of tension at least once a week or else her muscles will be encouraged to go back into their well-known tense state. In addition, I provided corrective stretches and exercise for her to perform at home, aiding in the release of tension as well as improved range of motion available at that given muscle/joint.
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