Professional Conduct
Appearance:
According to Mills & Parker-Bennett, (2004) as a professional sports massage therapist one can expect to see a clean and smart individual with an attire being usually a white polo shirt or uniform. Moreover, this portrays a professional image for the client’s viewing as well as prevent unsightly oil stains on clothing. In addition, all therapist must ensure that they are not wearing any cologne or deodorant as the scent could cause the client to experience headaches or migraines as a result. The therapist must also ensure that they have removed all jewellery that could make any potential noise during the massage as this could cause the client to be unsettles and could prevent them from being in a relaxed state of body and mind. Finally, therapists should ensure that their nails are cut short to prevent scratching the client during deep tissue massage.
Not only is the appearance of the therapist important but also the room in which they will be practicing. According to Mills & Parker-Bennett, (2004) beds should be pre-made, clean and presented in an appealing manner. This will allow the client to feel the professionalism of the massage and service this making them feel at ease and relaxed. Additionally, therapist should ensure they have enough supplies prior to starting their massage such as, oils, creams, towels and body supports for ankles etc.
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Hygiene:
According to Paine, T. (2007) within this professional field, one can be assured that the sports massage therapist has washed their hands and forearms before beginning any treatment on clients. This is achieved by using hot water and hand wash. In addition, even if the therapist has only just washed their hands they should be washed again to give the client clarity that they have indeed been washed.
In addition, hair is kept clean and long hair is kept tied back to ensure no contact with the client is made. Additionally, "finger nails are maintained at a short level to remove the chances of harming the client via scratching as this would trigger the client to come out of their relaxed state of mind”. Furthermore, the massage room utilised will be clear of any strong smells and potentially distracting objects to aid in maintaining a client-friendly atmosphere. This will encourage the client’s cognitive thinking into transcending into a relaxed state of mind. This is important as this will allow for the most optimal massage therapy to take place as all muscles are relaxed and loose as appose to being tight and tense.
In regards to equipment, all beds are washed down with a diluted non-abrasive, non-alcohol based disinfectant cleanser before and after individual client use.
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Confidentiality:
Within the field of sports massage every new client is required to fill out a postural consultation form or a postural assessment provided by the therapist. According to the Sports massage association, clients should be assured that all information given is treated within the strictest confidence and thus protected by the Data Protection Act. Furthermore, sports massage therapists are required to uphold professional standards through the code of ethics."This code of ethics protects the integrity of the massage profession and safeguards the interest of individual clients".
Sports massage therapists can ensure that correct use of verbal communication is apparent towards each and every client during their time under therapist care as well as treat clients with respect, dignity and worth. Furthermore, all massage therapists will protect the confidentiality of their client’s identity in conversations, advertisements, and any and all other matters unless disclosure of identifiable information is requested by the client in writing (informed consent), is medically necessary, is required by law or for purposes of public protection. Finally, all data gathered regarding the client’s personal information is ensured to be stored and disposed of client files in a secure manner when required.
