What should I consider prior to having Sports & Remedial Massage Therapy?
There are various things to watch out for before you have Sports and Remedial Massage Therapy and there are several situations which may prevent you from having treatment. If you are unsure please discuss the situation with our practitioners or seek medical attention as appropriate:
A fever or an infection, this includes skin infections
Any open wounds or recent (previous 48-72hrs) bruising, muscle tears, sprained ligaments, contusions (deep muscle bruising) or burn
Bone fracture or joint dislocation
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Any serious medical condition or illness
An undiagnosed illness
It might not be suitable for someone with uncontrolled diabetes, bleeding or clotting disorders or certain cancers so you need to speak to the practitioner or your own doctor before you start if you are concerned.
You must tell your practitioner if you are - or think you might be - pregnant.
The practitioner is trained to recognise whether massage therapy is safe and appropriate for you. If such a situation arises, you may be need to defer massage therapy or attend another health professional.
Sport Massage and Remedial Therapy work the muscles in a deep and thorough way during the treatment and it is therefore not a good idea to eat a heavy meal or drink alcohol in the hours leading up to your massage.
What happens when I go for my appointment?
Many people say they would like to have a Sports & Remedial Massage therapy, only they're not quite sure what is involved…
On arrival you will asked to complete a simple record form.
Consent - It is essential to have your consent for all aspects of the treatment. Children (under 16) will require both consent and a chaperone. Your consent will also be requested if the practitioner feels it is necessary to refer you or discuss your case with another healthcare professional.
Acupuncture - On arrival a form will be available providing information about acupuncture treatment if you would like to include this as part of your treatement. This will be discussed with your practitioner during your consultation and written consent obtained if deemed approriate for you.
Consultation - Appointments begin with a consultation to discuss your current health and medical history. Lifestyle, occupation, emotional, sporting and leisure activities will also be taken into account. This helps to determine if there is a medical reason that you can't have a massage. It also helps the practitioner tailor the massage to meet your current needs.
Musculoskeletal Assessment - An assessment of the musculoskeletal system is made. This could include evaluation of your soft tissues (muscles, joints, tendons etc.) and simple mobility testing. A trained sense of touch will be used to locate areas of tightness, strain, weakness or injury.
Postural Analysis - Your posture wil be analysed and any imbalances or restrictions noted.
Treatment - You will receive your treatment in a clean, warm, private, comfortable and relaxing treatment room. You will be asked to undress to whatever degree is comfortable for you for the assessment and massage session. Towels will be used to cover the areas of the body not being worked on to maintain modesty and keep you warm.
Massage treatments are client-centred and tailored to you as an individual and a variety of techniques are utilised depending on what you need. If at any time you become uncomfortable, inform the practitioner. You know your body and your needs best. The practitioner will respond to whatever you feel is right for you.
Treatment Plan - Whether you have attended for a one-off treatment, a course of treatments or intend to attend regularly your consultaion, assessment and treatment will be explained and discussed with you. It will also be documented and your records will be kept in a safe and secure place which can only be accessed by your treating practitioner. A treatment plan will be formulated as required and future bookings can be made. Advice on accessing other forms of healthcare, as appropriate, will also be given.
Advice - The practitioners are knowledgeable about many aspects of healthcare, sport and training. Advice may cover, for example, rehabilitating from injury; aspects of postural health and well-being in the work place; managing stress; changes you can make to your lifestyle to increase your general health and help to prevent muscular discomfort or injury; adjustments to your training programme and possibly introducing complimentary forms of exercise to address over-training or improve sports performance.