What are the nuts and bolts of good basic assessment for massage/soft tissue therapists?
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Are you leaving things to chance? Why not start as you mean to go on? Pick a number, “6” is as good as any other, then use it to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and constraints? Yes a SWOC is a great way of helping you plan, develop and reflect…
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………goes to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian who share the award for identifying receptors that allow the body’s cells to sense temperature and touch.
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What are you making time for this Autumn?
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The traditional 3 R’s are ‘Reading, Writing & Arithmetic’, My therapy 3 R’s are Reflect, Recharge & Return stronger…..
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To meet a clients needs effectively we need to have the armoury to differentiate between ‘healthy’ tissue with problems and ‘unhealthy ‘ tissue with pathologies.
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…at a time..…Ready, steady, Go!
What is the goal you are currently striving to achieve? One goal at a time however big or small, it’s a step in the right direction…….
SPS has been in temporary offices for over 3 years but finally our goal is in sight. The newly rebuilt and refurbished premises will be the culmination of a lot of drive and determination. It will not have been without stress, heartache, and the occasional misgivings. However, it will set the course for the next 30 years.
It is hard to believe that SPS has been operating for over 30 years and in that time we have seen many changes not least the effects Covid-19 has had during the last 15months. Has it made us stronger? Yes. Has it provided us with expertise and experience? Yes. Have we had to change and adapt? Yes.
Each and every one of us has started out on our practitioner/therapist/business journey with a goal in mind. Ours has always been to bring a mix of skills and experience that when coupled with caring individuals, meet the needs of our clients. What is your goal?
Our next goal is to broaden the skill mix in our premises. Follow our progress @the_centre_33 We will be bringing together a wide range of professionals in beauty, therapy, fitness & wellbeing.
We will be partnering with a wide range of individuals, organisations and groups from a diverse range of services from Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation to Hairdressing, Beauty therapy and much more….
Meeting individuals needs means caring for the whole person, physiologically psychologically and emotionally. We not only have to think from inside out & outside in but from head to toe. Being able to assist people reach their goals is something we aspire to do to the best of our abilities.
Whatever the goal we want to help…..
Do you have a goal we can assist you with? Do you need skills? Do you need help integrating skills? Do you need somewhere to practice from? Do you need a mentor?
Whatever you decide is your next goal, we are happy to help you on your journey. Remember we have been there, done that and as the saying goes got the T-Shirt!
SPS Ltd has made enormous adjustments, which continue, to ensure our very existence. If you need help and support a friendly ear or just to know you are not alone in experiencing anxiety at the thought of moving your goals forward then contact us. admin@spslearn.co.uk Stronger together, more insight through shared experience and a collective desire to improve the health & well being of our clients, family & friends. Not forgetting your own mental & physical wellbeing.
If you need any further help, support or guidance then contact us to arrange a One to One or attend a course in advanced soft tissue skills, assessment or agree a bespoke education programme to meet your needs as we return to studies, education & training at THE Centre. There will be many opportunities in the next few months in the run up to our re-opening our premises. Follow on Twitter & Instagram
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Nought to 30, 60, 90……..how fast are you going to get going once the lockdown is lifted?
It would be very easy to attempt to go back to ‘full time’ on ‘full throttle’, however, what would the consequences of an all or nothing restart be?
When we look at where we are at the moment, it would be easy to lapse into old habits and to push the past year, 15 months into the back of our minds. Yet we have come so far and learnt so much. To be the “Hero” on returning to practice would be to learn from the Covid-19 experience and adjust our practice to be more efficient, effective and kind to ourselves.
While many of you will have become bored during lockdown, others will have used the time to adjust the work life balance. Working smarter not harder will in the longterm bring greater reward. Not all rewards are financial, health & wellbeing are at the centre of our and our clients happiness.
One consequence of returning to 100 miles per hour will be fatigue, frustration and a quick route to overload and burnout. You may be suffering yourself from the affects of Long Covid? We will take many months if not years to understand the best route to rehabilitation and return to ‘normal’ health. You may be dealing with clients who have lingering affects of Covid-19 and your ‘Joie de vivre’ is almost too much , too full on and as a result instead of giving the client a lift, actually exhausts them!
Let us consider a nice steady acceleration back to practice, keeping the speed within normal limits. Only moving to full throttle for short periods and then dropping back to a manageable work life balance.
SPS Ltd has made enormous adjustments, which continue, to ensure our very existence once lockdown is lifted. If you need help and support a friendly ear or just to know you are not alone in experiencing anxiety at the thought of returning to practice then contact us. admin@spslearn.co.uk Stronger together, more incite through shared experience and a collective desire to improve the health & well being of our clients, family & friends. Not forgetting your own mental & physical wellbeing.
If you need any further help, support or guidance then contact us to arrange a One to One or attend a course in advanced soft tissue skills, assessment or agree a bespoke education programme to meet your needs as we return to studies, education & training.
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2021 has started with some of you feeling a little “off balance”. New lockdown rules, fresh anxieties and a sense of here we go again.
It is really important that we change the narrative to “why not?”. Give ourselves a pat on the back for getting through 2020 and look at all the positives both in our personal as well as our business lives.
Why not look at making some changes to help revitalise your home and working environments?
That ‘spring clean’ could become a ‘January Junk clearance" or February Fresh outlook? Having a space whether at home or at work in which you feel in control, organised and happy can make all the difference to your decision making processes.
That long overdue reorganising of the furniture could provide much needed space as well as providing a new perspective to your working and living environment.
Why not plan to have all those questions you’ve asked yourself answered? Whether they are professional, therapy or personal based questions there are loads of people and groups out there who can help. The starting point is making that list of things that matter to you. Then finding individuals, groups, forums, organisations and associations to communicate with, support you and answer that all important ‘Why not?’……
Examples might be:
I lack confidence communicating by zoom, teams or other ‘virtual’ medium…….well I certainly did and I have to thank colleagues, students I am teaching and Business Wales for supporting me. How did these people and organisations help? Well firstly doing webinars and being mentored by Business Wales was fantastic and your area of the country has Business support available too. Then discussing what other colleagues were using and making a decision to use the system that I found most ‘user friendly’ and then there is no substitute for having a go! Your audience will help when you get technically stuck…students today are so computer savvy…there is always one who has the answer! I don’t claim to be great at the virtual communication world but I certainly have more confidence and a fantastic sense of achievement .
I should be doing more professional development but I don’t have the finance at the moment. Well we are all in the same boat here and there is a plethora of free webinars, individuals who will answer your emails and organisations who have made it their lives work to support their members….not a member? Well don’t worry good organisations welcome non members to join their online debates, webinars and chats. If you belong to groups then use this lockdown to just research the areas that might help you? Time can be the factor that really stops you meeting your goals rather than finance. Juggling home schooling, elderly family members and trying to make that all important work ‘virtual’ call can leave you stressed out and feeling out of control. Firstly be kind to yourself, don’t forget to breath deeply ( count 4 in & 8 out) before tackling anything and then ‘compartmentalise’ each ‘to do’ into short time dependent periods. I know how this feels, I’m juggling family of all ages, students all over the country, online teaching and a building schedule that would stress anyone……. how am I keeping it together? Well some members of the family might not agree that I am, but the only way is to plan in advance, share care, let people know your constraints and the need to reschedule from time to time. Give others responsibility and don’t do anything for longer than 60-90minutes. This my time limit what’s yours? Then have real “me” time. Make time for exercise, having a bath/shower and watching a good dose of tele/iPlayer or reading a good book! We all need to switch off…..
Why not? Fill this gap with your goal and ambition(s)…….
When it’s time to put your mind to your future, your skills and your development let us know? In the meantime relax, enjoy family & friends if you are able and devote all your energy to ‘living in the moment’.
SPS Ltd wishes you and your family, friends & loved ones a happy, healthy and successful 2021 with all good wishes for your future.
If you need any further help, support or guidance then contact us to arrange a One to One or attend a course in advanced soft tissue skills, assessment or agree a bespoke education programme to meet your needs as we return to studies, education & training.
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Time to reflect as 2020 nears its end and the prospect of a brighter happier and prosperous 2021 beckons. Don’t stay out in the cold except to enjoy all that is beautiful!
When it’s time to put your mind to your future, your skills and your development let us know? In the meantime relax, enjoy family & friends if you are able and devote all your energy to ‘living in the moment’.
SPS Ltd wishes you and your family, friends & loved ones a happy, healthy festive period and all good wishes for 2021.
If you need any further help, support or guidance then contact us to arrange a One to One or attend a course in advanced soft tissue skills, assessment or agree a bespoke education programme to meet your needs as we return to studies, education & training.
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Are you feeling fragile? We are here to help you.
This fantastic illustration by Pascal Bernardon @pbernardon tells me - ‘What it’s all about’ . It is how we are all feeling at the moment . Vulnerable, Unsure & a little low perhaps? How can we help each other to regain our equilibrium and move forward?
Answer - By being kind, supportive and helpful!
At SPS we have been providing education, support and guidance for nearly 30 years. It is not new to us and we continue to provide information, programmes of study and an ‘ear’ to those who need us.
Personally my 40 + years of experience in health, fitness & wellbeing does not make me a dinosaur who should be extinct, but a wealth of understanding and knowledge. It is very easy to dismiss people who appear to have ‘always been there’ as out of date and out of touch. Nothing could be further from the truth! We (the older therapist/practitioner) have a fantastic balanced and ‘common sense’ approach to a multitude of problems and issues. Why not use this knowledge to help, guide and support you when you feel vulnerable and unsure?
Why am I writing this now? I am writing this as ‘hands-on’ therapy is subtly being pushed aside in favour of exercise prescription at a distance, advice via telecom and virtual study. It should not be one or the other but a ‘blend’ of both. Society as a whole has never felt more like being ‘touched’ than it does now. The ability to hug a loved one, comfort an elderly or confused friend and just give a soothing stroke to someones tired aching muscles has never been more wanted. Now is not the time to ‘throw the baby away with the bathwater’!
Society as a whole will regret in the longterm the demise of massage & soft tissue therapies. It will be forced to reinvent the wheel as the ‘dinosaur’ will be extinct by the time the loss of these modalities is felt. I have heard all the ‘research’ based arguments and fully support the need to understand the outcomes of specific interventions. However, I know the outcome of practice based evidence when patients, clients and athletes alike voice their relief, gratitude and thanks. When their pain, problems and injuries are managed with soft tissue therapy alongside exercise and advice they return to their work, sport and activities. We do not have to ‘wait’ for the evidence, we only have to explain that we don’t know why certain interventions work. If our clients understand this when consenting to your proposed massage or soft tissue strategy then no-one is misled. Honesty is the best policy……..
When we present our proposed strategy to a client it must always involve ‘risks and alternatives’ . If a therapist provides exercise prescription then surely an alternative and or adjunct to that exercise can be soft tissue therapy. This is even if the exercise therapist is a purported supporter of ‘evidence based practice’! Whether soft tissue therapy is explained by neuroscience or placebo it has an effect. Lets use it not loose it!
If you need any further help, support or guidance then contact us to arrange a One to One or attend a course in advanced soft tissue skills, assessment or agree a bespoke education programme to meet your needs as we return to studies, education & training.
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Question - How are your IT skills coming along?
Answer - Mixed results! Back in March my skills were poor! Since then after many ‘online’ tutorials, webinars and lots of reading I have managed to tutor successfully online, alongside ‘virtual’ consultations and student/graduate mentoring. This picture shows my first online exams for students since lockdown recommenced in Wales!
Question - is life more challenging?
Answer - Yes, of course it is! In addition when you are asking a ‘mature therapist!’ like me to learn ‘new tricks’ it certainly has its frustrations, anxieties and stress attached to many aspects of ones personal & working life.
Question - why am I doing this?
Answer - I continue to do it for several reasons:
Massage & soft tissue skills, underpinning knowledge and applications, are still an essential part of any therapists toolbox.
There is always something new to learn or revisit which keeps being a therapist and a tutor exciting.
There are always new students to teach and new clients to help and graduates to mentor..
The sense that people really appreciate the effort behind the teaching or therapy helps keep me motivated!
Virtual tutoring and virtual studying has made us all re-evaluate not only how we work but the value of that work. We have all had plenty of time to reflect on what is important to us. Again as areas of the country and some countries (Wales) experience another full lockdown situation, we should all be looking to use the time positively. Ask yourselves some fundamental questions?
Am I making the best use of my time?
What do I want to achieve in the next 3months, 6months or year?
How can I achieve my goals?
Virtual tutorials, One to One, webinars, online theory and many more internet based opportunities have appeared since March 2020. As we change the way we work, access, inform, action and benefit from not having to travel to gain knowledge.
Question - are we putting it to good use?
Question - Will virtual education be the only route in the future?
Answer - No!
It can provide a different perspective, underpinning knowledge and a platform for asking questions in many areas associated with ‘therapy’ and ‘therapists’. It helps to be able to articulate information to clients ‘virtually’. It also encourages one to ask questions as we can stay anonymous if we wish to! It has provided communities and support mechanisms which didn’t exist prior to Covid-19.
Question - will it replace ‘touch’ ?
Answer - No!
Virtual communication cannot replace how tissues feel, how they can be manipulated and the different effects that can be achieved. Virtual interaction, while brilliant, cannot replace the communication and subtle interaction between tutors and students in ‘hands-on’ therapies. The ‘sense’ that one gets from actually handling structures and the response both verbal & non verbal elicited in the client, speaks volumes. The empathy and understanding when “hands-on” is a part of the client, patient or athlete ‘package’ of care is in my view irreplaceable..
This mature therapist might be learning new tricks but you the younger, eager and enthusiastic therapist of the future must put the basics under your belts. The basics are for many of you following the science and research. If Covid-19 has taught us anything then its that intervention comes before the full understanding of the outcome measures. Practice based evidence before evidence based practice. The world of soft tissue therapies is no different!
Which means “hands-on” interventions are still often in the practice based evidence phase and the evidence based practice will come later. The world is focusing its efforts on ensuring we are alive to benefit from the many varied modalities that support health, fitness & wellbeing. That does not mean we should cease to deliver close contact, Face 2 Face education and treatment. What it does mean is that we need to give greater thought to how we achieve these ‘hands-on’ methods and skills.
Remember when added to understanding the new theories/research and practice experience they become a powerful set of “tools” in your therapy box. I also believe that each skill, method and modality of soft tissue therapy is greater than the sum of the parts!
Remember education does not have to be long, expensive or overly specific. It can be a few minutes with a colleague, tutor or willing practitioner. It can be a small financial gesture of appreciation for the knowledge gained. It can be questions/answers which support your practice not just the skills but general guidance and confidence building. Am I on the right track type of question?
It may be that you want to talk about a specific client, presentation or case study? One to One mentoring can help you build confidence in your decision making and assessment processes.
Virtual help and support is readily available and in these strange days of lockdown, limitation and often indecision, don’t let that stop your route to being the best therapist you can be. Help is only a few clicks away!
The Universal use of massage and soft tissue skills will not change. People want and need touch. People will not ask to see the evidence for what you do they will ‘feel’ what you do and judge for themselves. Massage Mattered in the past and Massage Matters now, and will continue to matter in the future.
If you need any further help, support or guidance then contact us to arrange a One to One or attend a course in advanced soft tissue skills, assessment or agree a bespoke education programme to meet your needs as we return to studies, education & training.
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Everyone’s internal architecture is a complex mix of fibrous elements - collagen, reticulin & elastin all suspended in a ground substance - viscous gel - water, carbohydrates & protein molecules.
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Did you know there are over 50 different types of therapy! Well there are that many different ways of describing the methods, modalities and skills we utilise with clients, patients, athletes, family & friends.
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SPS supports a SAFE return to the Practice of Massage in all its forms Sports Massage, Soft Tissue Therapies, Beauty Therapy, Aromatherapy, Remedial Therapy & Many More Descriptions.
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SPS Sports Massage Students/Graduates Return to ‘Practice of Skills’ Post Covid-19.
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Quality is the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something. “an improvement in product quality”.
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Washing your hands for over 20 secs frequently throughout the day has led to many people suffering from sore and damaged skin. In order to protect ourselves from Covid-19 and other flu viruses this very important structure has to be protected!
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All muscles are enveloped by fasciae which blend, communicate and coordinate the fibrocytes at its core. Fasciae combine to form tendons and thereby attach the muscle to bones, which blend into the periosteum another fascial structure.
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