Liaising with Practitioners
Emergency Ward
Injuries are enough to put a damper on anyone’s day especially sports athlete’s, which are the main clients I work with at my business. Depending on the injury obtained they can be treated with a sports massage however, if the severity of the injury is serious such as a dislocated shoulder, this cannot be treated here and therefore, the client would be referred to the emergency department for it to be seen by a specialist within this area. However, such injury once treated at the emergency department would require a lengthy rehabilitation programme to adhere to in order to aid in the full recovery of the injury site. Consequently, treatments to aid in your recovery can be recommended by your specialist of care (Doctor) such as; chiropter, physiotherapy and sports massage. All 3 of these treatments can have a gross impact on helping and in most cases the speeding up of recovery time if applied to their rehabilitation programme. In addition, such treatments can aid in the regaining of lost range of motion, tension, stiffness and pain relief if used frequently. Whilst sports massage will not have you back playing your sport the next day it could however, see a 50% reduction in overall recovery time if used effectively. This should see an individual get back to their optimal performance and their sport in no time.
Osteopath
Osteopathy is used as a means of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging an individual’s muscles and joints. In addition, similar to chiropractors, osteopaths use physical manipulation, massage and stretching to treat their patients. Osteopathy is based on the principle that the well-being of an individual depends on their bones, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue functioning smoothly together (NHS choices, 2015).
The primary aim of an osteopath is to encourage the following:
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increasing the mobility of joints
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relieving muscle tension
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enhancing the blood supply to tissues
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helping the body to heal
A sports massage therapist must be aware of their limitations in regards to client-care and massage. If a massage therapist detects that a client has abnormal or moderate to severe pain in their shoulder or lower back they do not have the knowledge, experience or qualifications to treat it. Therefore, the therapist must refer the client to an osteopath who has experience and knowledge within this area to help treat the client. Osteopaths help treat common injuries such as:
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lower back pain
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problems with the pelvis, hips and legs
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problems with posture caused by driving, work or pregnancy
Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy aids in restoring movement and function when an individual is inflicted by an injury, illness or disability. Said therapy can also aid in limiting the risk of developing any potential illness or injury in the future (NHS, 2016). Moreover, Physiotherapy patients are often referred by their doctors or advised by sports massage therapist themselves if the client seems a liable candidate. They work in a multiple of settings such as:
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GP surgeries
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Sports teams and clubs
A Physio therapist can advise, provide and guide clients with the correct techniques needed to perform in order to correct or aid the client with their injury. This is an element that a sports massage therapist cannot provide due to not being qualified and lacking the knowledge to do so. “education and advice – physiotherapists can give general advice about things that can affect your daily lives, such as posture and correct lifting or carrying techniques to help prevent injuries.
Movement, tailored exercise and physical activity advice – exercises may be recommended to improve your general health and mobility, and to strengthen specific parts of your body.
Manual therapy – where the physiotherapist uses their hands to help relieve pain and stiffness, and to encourage better movement of the body” (NHS, 2016).
As the client attends the allocated sessions (usually 10) they will see a gradual improvement in their injury site for example, lost range of motion at the shoulder joint in time sees full range of motion return due to correct exercises provided by the physiotherapist.
Chiropractor:
Chiropractors utilize their hands to treat out of liniment of bones, muscles and joints. In addition, treatments that involve using the hands in this manner are called manual therapies. Chiropractors use a wide range of techniques to manipulate the spine and the vertebrae (NHS 2014). The links between sports massage and chiropractic are closely involved in regards to releasing tension and rectifying muscular and skeletal imbalances. Massage can help to loosen up muscles when found to be tight or tense however, this can only be a temporary fix if the client has skeletal imbalances within their joint or vertebrae. This is due to their vertebrae being out of alignment causing the surrounding muscles (rhomboids) to overcompensate on one side, thus causing the muscles to become tight and tense once again. Moreover, the use of chiropractic can help to realign joints and vertebrae that may have been slight off balance due to muscular tension or injury.
In summary, whichever order you have these two therapies applied, the combination of both sports massage and chiropractic should be highly considered to anyone who wishes to keep their bodies range of motion to the fullest of their abilities and keep stiffness and pain to a minimum. “Whichever order you ultimately pursue, a combination of these two treatments can be remarkably effective for relieving pain, restoring mobility, and improving your quality of life. If you are unsure of the order that will be best for you, consult with your therapists.” (HEALTH, 2015).
