Program Overview

HLTMSG018 - Adapt Massage Practice for Athletes

Unit Overview

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills, and knowledge required to determine massage needs and to adjust assessment and treatment to develop preventative and injury-related treatment strategies for athletes, sport participants, and active people. This unit applies to remedial massage therapists.

Unit Details

• Unit Code: HLTMSG018
• Study Level: TAFE
• Nominal Hours: 70
• Location: City Campus
• Prerequisites: N/A

Overview

This unit is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge required to adapt massage practice for athletes. It covers the assessment and treatment of athletes, including the development of preventative and injury-related treatment strategies.

Assessment

For Melbourne Campuses

Assessment tasks will be designed to reinforce and extend knowledge and skill competence within set and controlled parameters in accordance with each unit's learning outcomes and performance criteria requirements. Students will be expected to demonstrate the following required skills:

• Perform three sport massages:
  • Including at least one pre-event, one post-event, and one intra-event massage
  • Each of the above massages on a different athlete
  • Each of the above athletes participating in a different sport
• Develop three different treatment plans:
  • Each to address the specific needs of a different athlete
  • Each addressing a different phase of the athlete's training or competition cycle

Students will also be expected to demonstrate the following knowledge:

• Roles and responsibilities of different people associated with the health management of an athlete:
  • Sport and technique coach and instructor
  • Sport trainer
  • Strength and conditioning coach
  • Sport psychologist
  • Exercise physiologist
  • Medical practitioner
  • Physiotherapist
  • Chiropractor
  • Osteopath
  • Podiatrist
  • Exercise therapist
  • Dietician and nutritionist
  • Parent and guardian
• Commonwealth and State or Territory legal and ethical considerations for client assessment and treatment:
  • Codes of conduct
  • Duty of care
  • Informed consent
  • Mandatory reporting
  • Therapist and 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 (WHS)
• Reasons athletes access sport massage treatment:
  • Injury
  • Preparation
  • Performance improvement
  • Recovery
  • Motivation
  • Pain
  • Stress
• Pre-event, post-event, and intra-event massage techniques and their application:
  • Physical warm-up
  • Mental preparation including stress management and motivation
  • Maintenance massage:
    • Muscle facilitation and stimulation
    • Muscle relaxation and parasympathetic response
• Self-management and self-massage programs
• Full range of movement of the joints and muscles using passive and assisted techniques
• Environmental conditions which may impact treatment:
  • Availability of privacy
  • Availability of massage equipment:
    • Table
    • Chair
    • Draping
    • Bolster
  • Weather
  • Hygiene
  • Therapist posture
  • Sport-specific dangers
• Common sport injuries and how massage may play a role in their treatment:
  • Sprain
  • Strain
  • Bursitis
  • Tendinopathy
  • Contusion
  • Cramp
  • Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
  • Fracture
  • Dislocation
  • Compartment syndrome
• Skin injuries and how massage therapists need to work in areas subject to:
  • Burns and sunburn
  • Laceration
  • Abrasion
  • Puncture wound
  • Blister
• Types of cryotherapy and thermotherapy used for recovery from injury and techniques used to apply them:
  • Conduction including cold pack, ice massage, and immersion bath
  • Convection including cooling device
  • Radiation
  • Friction
  • Topical application
• Indications and considerations for use of cryotherapy and thermotherapy:
  • Myofascial hypertonicity
  • Pain
  • Adequate time to achieve cryotherapy and thermotherapy goals without causing adverse reaction
• Contraindications for use of cryotherapy and thermotherapy:
  • Adverse reactions to topical application
  • Pain
  • Decreased sensitivity
• Aspects of self-care for therapists:
  • Hydration
  • Nutrition
  • Posture
  • Ergonomics
  • Sleep
  • Rest and recovery
  • Stretching
  • Professional boundaries
  • Fitness to practice

Required Reading

The qualified trainer and assessor will provide teaching and learning materials as required in the form of workbooks produced by Victoria University and/or via the Victoria University e-learning system.

As Part of a Course

This unit is studied as part of the following course(s):

• Diploma of Remedial Massage
• HLT52021 | Diploma | Duration: Refer to the course page for information on how to apply for the course. Victoria University takes care to ensure the accuracy of this unit information but reserves the right to change or withdraw courses offered at any time. Please check that unit information is current with the Student Contact Centre.