Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to determine the remedial massage needs of athletes and to adjust assessment and treatment to develop preventative and injury related treatment strategies for athletes and other sport active people.
This unit applies to remedial massage therapists.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements define the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Determine scope of massage services required | 1.1 Obtain information from athlete about their potential service needs 1.2 Collate and evaluate information from others involved in the health management of the athlete 1.3 Determine where and how massage fits within the overall athlete health management program 1.4 Confirm own role and responsibilities with athlete and other health management professionals |
2. Adapt remedial massage assessment and treatment strategies to athlete needs | 2.1 Incorporate pre and post event massage based on demands and impacts of the sporting activity and individual profile 2.2 Identify musculoskeletal sports injuries and their potential for treatment with massage within scope of own practice 2.3 Tailor sports injury management strategies that incorporate the concept of stages of recovery 2.4 Recommend sport injury specific therapies and exercises that support massage treatment 2.5 Provide athlete education in relation to self-massage techniques as required 2.6 Provide recommendations for ongoing support packages to aid recovery from injury 2.7 Integrate sport related information and research evidence into treatment plan and clearly document treatment details |
3. Monitor and evaluate athlete treatment strategies | 3.1 Review effectiveness of treatment plans based on client response to preventative and injury related treatments 3.2 Evaluate impact of ongoing treatment in relation to client’s physical, mental and emotional condition relative to their sport 3.3 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 3.4 Adjust plans based on evaluations in consultation with client and colleagues 3.5 Accurately document recommendations and changes to treatment plans |
Evidence of Performance
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
Evidence of Knowledge
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
Assessment Conditions
Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated clinical environment that reflects workplace conditions. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including:
client information – health assessment consultation forms, case history
consultation area
adjustable height massage table
towels/sheets for draping
oils/balms
hot/cold packs
supports
tape
modelling of industry operating conditions, including provision of services to athletes or sports active people
clinic supervision by a person who meets the assessor requirements outlined below for at least 150 of the 200 hours of client consultation work
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
In addition, assessors must:
have current clinical experience working as a remedial massage therapist providing services to the general public
hold practising membership of an Australian professional body that represents remedial massage therapists
fulfil the continuing professional development requirements of the professional body to which they belong
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.