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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 massage services required
   • Obtain information from athlete about their potential service needs
   • Collate and evaluate information from others involved in the health management of the athlete
   • Determine where and how massage fits within the overall athlete health management program
   • Confirm own role and responsibilities with athlete and other health management professionals
3. Adapt remedial massage assessment and treatment strategies to athlete needs
   • Incorporate pre and post event massage based on demands and impacts of the sporting activity and individual profile
   • Identify musculoskeletal sports injuries and their potential for treatment with massage within scope of own practice
   • Tailor sports injury management strategies that incorporate the concept of stages of recovery
   • Recommend sport injury specific therapies and exercises that support massage treatment
   • Provide athlete education in relation to self-massage techniques as required
   • Provide recommendations for ongoing support packages to aid recovery from injury
   • Integrate sport related information and research evidence into treatment plan and clearly document treatment details
4. Monitor and evaluate athlete treatment strategies
   • Review effectiveness of treatment plans based on client response to preventative and injury related treatments
   • Evaluate impact of ongoing treatment in relation to client’s physical, mental and emotional condition relative to their sport
   • Seek feedback from others involved in the health management of the athlete and ensure that advice provided is in line with advice of other health professionals
   • Adjust plans based on evaluations in consultation with client and colleagues
   • Accurately document recommendations and changes to treatment plans

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

managed at least 60 remedial massage assessment and treatment sessions - clients must include males and females from different stages of life with varied presentations

assessed and treated at least 3 different sporting injuries to recovery stage

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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:

roles and responsibilities of different people associated with the health management of the athlete, including:

sports coaches

sports psychologists

exercise physiologists

medical practitioners

physiotherapists

chiropractors

osteopaths

exercise therapists

dieticians/nutritionists

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

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

relevant principles of human movement and sport biomechanics:

muscle strength testing

length testing

isometric, concentric and eccentric contractions

pre-event and post-event massage techniques and their application, including:

physiological warm-up

psychological preparation including stress release and motivation

maintenance massage, including muscle facilitation and stimulation, plus muscle relaxation and neural calming

self-management and self-massage programs

full range of movement of the joints and muscles without aggressive proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) type stretching:

active assisted range of motion (ROM)

muscle energy techniques

features of acute, chronic and overuse musculoskeletal injuries in sport, including referral potential, rate of recovery and how massage can assist the following:

bone injuries:

fracture

periosteal contusion

stress fracture

'bone strain', 'stress reaction'

osteitis/periostitis

apophysitis

articular cartilage injuries:

osteochondral/chondral fractures

minor osteochondral injury

chondropathy - softening, fibrillation, fissuring, chondromalacia

joint injuries:

dislocation

subluxation

synovitis

osteoarthritis

ligament injuries - sprain/tear (grades I - III)

muscle injuries:

strain/tear (grades I - III)

contusion

cramp

acute compartment syndrome

chronic compartment syndrome

delayed onset muscle soreness

focal tissue thickening/fibrosis

myositis ossificans

tendon injuries:

tear (complete or partial)

tendinitis

paratendinitis/tenosynovitis

tendinosis

bursa injuries:

traumatic bursitis

bursitis

nerve injuries:

neuropraxia

minor nerve injury/irritation

entrapment

increased neural tension

skin injuries and how massage therapists need to work in areas subject to:

burns

laceration

abrasion

puncture wound

types of cryotherapy or thermotherapy used for recovery from injury and techniques used to apply them, including:

conduction - cold packs, ice massage and immersion baths

convection - cooling devices

radiation

friction

topical application

indications, contraindications and considerations for use of cryotherapy:

adverse reactions to topical application

adequate time to achieve cryotherapy goals without causing adverse reactions

indications, contraindications and considerations for use of thermotherapy:

myofascial hypertonicity

fascial adherence

potential for scalding

uses and indications for taping and splinting that are within scope of massage practice

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