Planning of treatment
Planning of treatment can be categorised into four elements; type, duration, frequency and target areas of massage.
Type
When looking specifically at the type element within this section, this can be seen as the type of technique used as well as which area of the client’s body I am focusing on i.e. calves. In addition, in regards to this muscle the utilisation of effleurage, hacking, thumb kneading and a cupping tool. However, for this muscle I would not perform a technique such as spinal rocking or pounding as this would be best suited for the client’s back."The word effleurage derives from the French word, effleurer, which means ‘to skim’. It is a form of massage involving stroking movements with the hands sliding over the skin, and is always used at the beginning and end of as well as in between other techniques during a massage session" Sports therapy UK, 2017).
Duration of treatment
This can be seen as simply, the amount of time spent massaging a client in general or a particular muscle that requires more tension than others due to high volumes of tension and tightness. For example, if a client had extremely tight and tense calves but only mild tension and tightness in their hamstrings, I would ensure that more time is spent on their calves (10 minutes each) and less time massaging there hamstrings (5 minutes each). Moreover, this would be due to the calves requiring more muscle breakdown thus, allowing for the release of waste products into the bloodstream. These products would be urinated out later with plenty of water, and a relief in tension within that targeted area would also occur. In addition, a full body massage would typically take 60 minutes to complete.
Frequency
This element refers to how often a client should participate in the treatment of a sports massage as well as the emphasised focus on any specific areas over others that require it. Furthermore, I recommend that clients suffering from persistent and troublesome areas of specific tension, should attend a sports massage at least once per week until the pain and tension dramatically subsides. In addition, all clients will be provided with effective stretches and exercises to perform in order to maintain their relief of tension and improved range of motion.
Target areas
Sports Massage (targeted areas) can be seen as a direct, site specific type of massage, which will be applied to a certain area of the body to facilitate the activity of the sportsman or individual as well as aid in recovery from a sporting activity or to help treat an injury. In addition, as a Massage therapist I use a variety of strokes and techniques along with a detailed knowledge of the muscles and their actions to treat musculoskeletal imbalances and trauma. For example, a client having site specific pain and tension regarding their upper back (rhomboids and traps) would see require myself to focus a gross amount of time on this targeted area opposed to less tense areas. In addition, certain areas would require certain techniques to be per4fromed on them, such as; the back being more suited for the ‘pounding’ technique rather than the calve. This would be due to the back being a much larger muscle in comparison. With that being said, this technique is not suited for everyone, as clients with smaller backs could be too sensitive to the subject of this technique. Beating and pounding involves a series of light, brisk, striking actions applied with clenched fists. In addition, beating and pounding is a specific massage techniques used to stimulate muscles before exercise which helps to increase the flow of blood, temperature and tissue elasticity.
