Massage clients can come in all shapes, sizes and ages
by admin on December 28, 2009
Massage clients can come in all shapes, sizes and ages.
Protocols and techniqes will mostly remain the same but the therapist needs to be able to adapt to any situation. With infants and children it needs to be remembered that these young people will be in various stages of often rapid physical growth. With most people this growth ceases around 24 to 25 years of age.
Particularly with infants and children many of their ailments will be generally classified by their GP as ‘growing pains’.
In many, but not all cases, this may well be the situation. Quite often these growing pains can be alleviated through massage and gentle Proprioceptive Nueromuscular Facilitated Stretching. PNF Stretching as it is otherwise known.
This may follow either a relaxation massage or a remedial treatment. When working with young people it is important for the therapist to understand that their bones are often not yet fully formed and that less pressure should be applied compared to when working on an adult. Similar consideration needs to be applied to an elderly client.
Not only should you consider applying less pressure during the massage but a good massage therapist will try and make the session interesting for the young person as well. Such a therapist will find out what interests their client. How they got the injury or complaint and how is it effecting their lives. Often this will be their first ever experience of a massage. In most cases such a client will come to you with a problem requiring a remedy. They will not be wanting to just drape on your table an go to sleep. To bliss out. It should be an interesting and informative experience resulting in the client or guardian also acquiring helpful hints on how to alleviate the problem.
If they are under 17 yrs of age they should be accompanied by a parent or gardian IN THE TREATMENT ROOM.
In these circumstances the therapist should be engaging both the young person and the
parent/guardian in the conversation.
Building such a rapour with the clients will help gain an understanding of the physical cause of their aches and pains and also better ensure compliance with stretching or exercise programmes that a therapist may deem necessary to offer to help compliment the massage treatment and maximise recovery.
Yours in health
Victor Solomon
Protocols and techniques will mostly remain the same but the therapist needs to be able to adapt to any situation. With infants and children it needs to be remembered that these young people will be in various stages of often rapid physical growth. With most people this growth ceases around 24 to 25 years of age.
Particularly with infants and children many of their ailments will be generally classified by their GP as ‘growing pains’.
In many, but not all cases, this may well be the situation. Quite often these growing pains can be alleviated through massage and gentle Proprioceptive Nueromuscular Facilitated Stretching. PNF Stretching as it is otherwise known.
This may follow either a Relaxation Massage or a remedial treatment. When working with young people it is important for the therapist to understand that their bones are often not yet fully formed and that less pressure should be applied compared to when working on an adult. Similar consideration needs to be applied to an elderly client.
Not only should you consider applying less pressure during the massage but a good massage therapist will try and make the session interesting for the young person as well. Such a therapist will find out what interests their client. How they got the injury or complaint and how is it effecting their lives. Often this will be their first ever experience of a massage. In most cases such a client will come to you with a problem requiring a remedy. They will not be wanting to just drape on your table an go to sleep. To bliss out. It should be an interesting and informative experience resulting in the client or guardian also acquiring helpful hints on how to alleviate the problem.
If they are under 17 yrs of age they should be accompanied by a parent or guardian in the treatment room .
In these circumstances the therapist should be engaging both the young person and the parent/guardian in the conversation.
Building such a rapport with the clients will help gain an understanding of the physical cause of their aches and pains and also better ensure compliance with stretching or exercise programmes that a therapist may deem necessary to offer to help compliment the massage treatment and maximise recovery.
Yours in health,
Victor Solomon
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