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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Elements define the essential outcomes
2. Determine scope of client needs
   • Explore and clarify client expectations
   • Provide clear information about scope and limits of services to be provided
   • Collect an accurate, relevant and organised health record, and document in a form which can be interpreted readily by other professionals
   • Recognise needs that are beyond scope of own practice and make referrals to other health care professionals as required
   • Identify and respond to any barriers to information gathering and assessment
   • Seek client information respectfully and sensitively, using purposeful, systematic and diplomatic questions
   • Manage information in a confidential and secure way
3. Make a physical assessment
   • Provide information about the physical assessment process and obtain client consent to proceed
   • Follow clinical and practitioner hygiene procedures
   • Respect client dignity and anticipate sensitivities
   • Seek client feedback on comfort levels
   • Assess client through palpation, observation and ROM testing
   • Identify variations from normal posture or structural function in relation to presenting symptoms
   • Analyse static and dynamic variables of posture through use of functional and special testing indicated by presenting condition
   • Use ongoing questioning with client to gain further information as required
   • Accurately document information from the physical assessment
4. Develop treatment plan
   • Correlate results of physical assessment with case history
   • Consider available medical information and incorporate into analysis within scope of own practice
   • Identify condition according to stage and related implications
   • Identify and respond to indications or contraindications for remedial massage
   • Determine optimum type, duration and frequency of treatments
   • Use professional judgement to draw substantiated conclusions about treatment needs
   • Establish expected treatment outcomes based on the remedial massage framework and evidence
   • Accurately document proposed treatment plan
5. Confirm assessment and treatment plan with client
   • Discuss assessment, its implications and rationale for treatment with the client
   • Assign and agree treatment priorities and expectations in consultation with the client
   • Schedule times and session lengths suited to the required techniques and sequences
   • Respond to client enquiries using language the client understands
   • Discuss referral and collaborative options with the client as required

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:

performed the activities outlined in the performance criteria of this unit during a period of at least 200 hours of massage client consultation work

prepared for and managed at least 60 remedial massage musculoskeletal assessments - clients must include males and females from different stages of life with varied presentations

used remedial massage assessment techniques appropriately, including:

discussion

muscle strength and length tests

observation, including variations of posture

orthopaedic tests

palpation of prominent bones/structure and phasic and postural muscles

ROM tests

temperature

interacted effectively with clients:

clearly articulated information about services, treatment options and rationale

engaged clients in decision making

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for client assessment:

codes of conduct

duty of care

informed consent

mandatory reporting

practitioner/client boundaries

privacy, confidentiality and disclosure

records management

work role boundaries:

working within scope of practice

presenting symptoms that require referral to a medical practitioner

work health and safety

referral options for practitioners:

professional health services including complementary health modalities

community resources and support services

types and availability of further medical testing

factors and barriers that may impact on assessment, including:

physical

psychological

cultural

factors that affect individual health status, including:

age

gender

constitution

lifestyle

diet

personal and medical history

values and attitudes

balance of rest and activity

physical environment

social environment

client information required for remedial massage assessment and the scope and depth of information needed around:

client expectations

client history and its components

client current state of health

signs and symptoms

onset

duration

location

quality and severity

non-verbal

protocols for performing physical massage assessments:

environment

equipment

client privacy

client instructions

remedial massage diagnostic techniques, how and when they are used:

discussion

muscle strength and length tests

observation, including variations of posture

orthopaedic tests

palpation of prominent bones/structure and phasic and postural muscles

ROM tests

temperature

contraindications to treatment and possible indications for referral:

weak bone/joint instability

neurological dysfunction

vascular disorders

lack of working diagnosis

pain of excessive nature or abnormal responses to treatment

patient non-compliance

anatomy:

body systems relevant to massage assessment

muscular physiology

nervous system, including myotomes, peripheral nerves, nerve impingements (both root and peripheral)

integumentary

skeletal

muscles – major muscle actions including individual actions, planes and synergistic groups:

temporalis

masseter

frontalis

pterygoids

longus colli

digastric

rectus capitis posterior

obliquus capitis superior

obliquus capitis inferior

splenius capitis

splenius cervicis

semi-spinalis capitis

scalenes

sternocleidomastoid

trapezius

levator scapulae

latissimus dorsi

supraspinatus

infraspinatus

teres major

teres minor

subscapularis

rhomboids

pectoralis major

pectoralis minor

serratus anterior

intercostals

serratus posterior superior

rectus abdominis

quadratus lumborum

psoas

transverse abdominis

internal/external obliques

erector spinae

semispinalis

multifidus

rotatores

gluteus maximus

gluteus medius

gluteus minimus

piriformis

gemellus superior/inferior

obturator internus and externus

quadratus femoris

quadriceps

sartorius

gracillis

pectineus

tibialis anterior

tibialis posterior

peroneals

flexor digitorum longus

flexor hallucis longus

hamstrings

adductor magnus

adductor longus

popliteus

gastrocnemius

soleus

extensor digitorum longus

extensor hallucis longus

deltoid

biceps brachii

triceps brachii

flexor carpi radialus

flexor carpi ulnaris

palmaris longus

pronator teres

brachioradialis

brachialis

extensor carpi radialis

supinator

anconeus

coracobrachialis

thenar muscle

skeleton:

bones of the body

major bony landmarks

surface anatomy and palpable bony landmarks

bone growth and remodelling

bony landmarks pertaining to muscles

joints:

joint classifications – fibrous, cartilaginous, synovial (glide, plane, ball/socket, saddle, hinge, condyloid, pivot)

joint actions

detailed joint anatomy for each major joint (shoulder, hip, sacroiliac, knee, ankle/foot, wrist, elbow, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, costal, spine, atlanto-occipital, temporomandibular)

accessory/secondary/coupled motions of joints

capsular restrictions and patterns

physiology:

soft tissue:

muscle contraction

muscle physiology (reflexes, chemistry, proprioceptors)

tendons and ligaments

fascia

hard tissue:

bone growth and development

abnormal bone growth

conditions commonly seen by massage therapists, including:

neck, back pain and headache

muscle, connective tissue and joint pain

arthritis

repetitive strain injuries and occupational overuse syndromes

postural problems

sports and activity related conditions

stress, anxiety and other mood related problems

treatment planning techniques and considerations

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