As you get to know their musculature, their symptoms, and their comfort threshold, you can begin to apply combinations of modalities that might work for them into customized bodywork sessions. Seasoned practitioners know there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all bodywork technique. If a healing crisis, as mentioned above, should occur, clients who are not experiencing acute stress may be more teachable as to why this happens and what they can expect in terms of results. As your therapeutic relationship grows, ask for feedback as to what worked for your clients (on your table and in the days following) and what did not. Listen to their feedback with an open mind, work with their best interest in mind, and be sure to keep your ego in check. The goal is to create a mutually beneficial relationship and keep them coming back. (The long-term effects of consistent massage therapy on chronic stress will be discussed further in Section 4 of this course.) a client away if you do not feel confident that providing massage is safe may frustrate the client in the short term, but he may eventually see that you are working with his best interest in mind. Another facet for building strong professional relationships with your clients is how you protect their privacy. Though it is not necessarily spelled out in specific terms as part of your scope of practice, it is definitely a key component of your professionalism and the trust you build with your clients. If you work in a medical setting, HIPAA laws may apply to you, and it is your responsibility to understand and practice patient privacy policies. Do not share any of their medical information, and do not share any of the personal information they may have told you during their massage session with anyone other than their physician if necessary. Understand that sometimes your clients just need to say things out loud in a safe place to get it off their chest in a nonconfrontational and supported way. Your job is to be an objective listener and nothing more. Never gossip about your clients, particularly if you also treat their friends and family members. Even if a dual relationship exists such as your client is also your friend leave the personal relationship outside of the treatment room.
Chronic stress situations are where we can pull out more tools from our toolbox, especially when we are thinking about making progress for the long term. One session of deep tissue massage probably will not eliminate a client’s pain, but several sessions working on the same affected area may greatly improve function and reduce pain over time. Clients often come to us hyperalert and hypersensitive after spending too much time in fight-or-flight mode, and they may present with a high level of muscular tension in one or more areas of the body. During the session, they may also become aware that they have more tension than they realized. How often do you hear clients on the table say, “I didn’t realize I had so much tension”? The massage table may be the only place where they allow themselves the opportunity to be fully present and listen to what their body has to say, if they are even capable of that. Scope of practice and privacy Once you have built a trusting therapeutic relationship with them, it is not unusual for your clients to occasionally unload when they come to your office for a session. We have probably all had at least one client who vented about her frustrations the entire time that she was on the table, or another client who came in with a laundry list of diagnoses for her various medical conditions seeking more information from us. Though it may be tempting to offer advice, do not step outside of your scope of practice. Remind yourself of the power differential we learn about in our study of professional ethics that exists in the client- therapist relationship and that your clients may see you as an authority figure. Never profess to have more knowledge than you are legally entitled to have in accordance with the licensing laws in your state. Never advise clients about medical conditions or medications or provide psychological counseling. Unless you also hold a medical license in your state, never give your clients medical or psychological advice because you are not qualified to do so. The only thing you have the authority and expertise to speak about is massage therapy, and even that can have restrictions according to the bylaws of your state licensing board. But you can speak about all the wonderful things that consistent massage therapy can do for your clients. Have open discussions about their expectations and goals with massage therapy, and explain results you may have seen in other clients with similar issues. If a client has medical questions, always refer him to his physician for answers—even if you know or think you know the answer. Similarly, if you have questions about the appropriateness of massage therapy for your client’s condition or concerns about possible contraindications, ask for approval from his physician before you proceed with treatment. Turning Massage therapy is powerful. As discussed in Section 3 of this course, a massage therapy session can trigger the relaxation response in the body. Studies have shown that this can happen with as little as 10 to 15 minutes of hands- on work. When regular massage therapy sessions become a lifestyle choice, your client gets to spend more time, ideally on a consistent basis, in the ahhhhhhhh … state and less time in the state of stress. Being in the ahhhhhhhh … state more often means that there is a greater chance for chronic stress patterns to be broken or, at the very least, interrupted for a time to provide relief. Studies conducted to prove this theory have provided data that should come as no surprise to us as practitioners.
Operate from a place of integrity and trust at all times. The only exception to this rule is in the case of suspected or known abuse, especially when a child is involved. In some states, in accordance with your state license, you might be considered a mandated reporter of child abuse or other types of abuse as a licensed practitioner. In the event that you suspect abuse, you must follow procedure to report it. Check with your state licensing board for details about this procedure. SECTION 4: WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF CONSISTENT MASSAGE THERAPY?
In a study on the effect of trigger point therapy, there was a significant decrease in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Measures of oxygen consumption, blood pressure, and salivary cortisol levels were all lower after a 10 to 15 minute chair massage in controlled studies. Changes in psychological states have been measured by physiological responses, the Perceived Stress Scale, the POMS Depression Scale, and the Anxiety State Scale. (AMTA, 2017) When massage therapy is a part of a comprehensive self- care regimen, the benefits can be tremendous. The more research we have to back up what we already know, the more we can advocate for massage therapy to be taken seriously as a health care tool by the medical community.
EliteLearning.com/Massage-Therapy
Book Code: MNJ0524
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