ITEC Holisitic Massage student looking for advice/reassurance

[Carmen R (Now a Koala)]

Hello everyone I'm new to this forum and indeed new to massage really! I completed and passed my Anatomy & Physiology module in January, and have begun the ITEC Diploma in Holistic Massage. I'm now at the part of the studying where I need to begin my case studies, so with great enthusiasm have done the consultations and given my first 3 treatments. The first 2 (female) have responded very positively saying they really enjoyed the massage felt very relaxed and 'loose' afterwards etc.

However the third person I massaged (Sunday evening) told me last night they felt like "every muscle in their body ached" and its shaken my confidence a little (doesn't take much I'm afraid!) as I'm concerned I've done something wrong! I'm wondering if it might just be a 'healing crisis' reaction? Would muscle aches be a particularly bad after effect from a first treatment?

I should add (although not suer if this has any bearing) that the gentleman enjoys a drink and smokes roughly 40 cigarettes a day, doesn't exercise and weighs about 17 stone - which according to his GP is approximately 3 stone overweight.

Very grateful for some advice or reassurance - I'm scared now to do another on him!

 

[dsfjkk]

Hi
This can be quite common with some people especially if overweight and have loads of toxins. This feeling should only last for a while and hopefully they usually feel better. Don't let it dent your confidence, everyone feels different after a massage everyone is an idividual. Enjoy doing your massaging. Most people get a positive response from it.

Kim

 

[rehabs]

Hello Kcross,

I think that I'm at the same stage as you are at the moment as I'm also doing my Holistic Massage case studies. So far I've given massages to three subjects at least once, though one of my subjects (my own teenage son) has had the pleasure of receiving two treatments now.

Interestingly, my son experienced some aching of his muscles after his second treatment. But he told me the following day that he felt even more relaxed and invigorated than after his first treatment. Personally, I thought that I'd given him a better massage second time around and I was encouraged by this feedback.

I think that this is because my son (who, apart from walking the 3 mile round trip to school every day) leads quite a sedentary life. He had played football with his friends the night before - a very rare activity for my boy - so he was already complaining of feeling a little tired before his treatment.

I suspect that your case study subject who gave feedback about his muscles aching had never had them massaged before! Perhaps the whole experience was new to him. If I were you, I'd ask him for more feedback in a couple of days time.

Do you think that you did anything wrong? Did you ask for feedback DURING the treatment? If you did, and he said that he was alright, you've nothing to reproach yourself for, nor to be afraid of.

Don't forget that your other two subjects thought that you'd done a good job.

I'm sure you'll get even more advice and reassurance from other members on this site - it's a great place for collective advice.

Be well and stay happy!

Y xx

 

[Skater dudette]

I would say the reaction should be grasped and the case study written up as soon as possible - oh the joy of having something to write other than "the client felt deeply relaxed...."!!!

Don't let it knock your confidence - massage affects everyone in different ways and this is quite an acceptable thing. If he felt pain during the massage or when you were doing specific movements perhaps your pressure was a little too firm for him, so check that with him during his next treatment.

Enjoy and good luck xx

 

[aaahyeaaa]

Many thanks for your replies. No the gentleman didn't say anything during the massage - in fact he fell asleep and the only sound was gentle snoring! So I was quite encouraged by that as you can imagine.

I mean it's really interesting getting started on my case studies and seeing different people's reactions I felt I gave similar massages to all 3 although if I'm honest may have applied slightly more pressure during petrissage with Steve than my other 2 (female) clients but that was probably because he's a bigger, more muscley person! One of my female clients is a tiny, petite person who I was worried about mnassging prior to doing so because there isn't a lot of flesh on her if that makes sense, and yet she found the massage very good - I guess its like everything else we all have differing opinions as to what we like.

 

[No God]

A good massage can be considered as 'passive exercise' for the recipient, someone who is sedentary and full of toxins may well experience post massage aches, as you said - this is the healing crisis !

I agree with the poster below, I would have loved to have had a case study who gave a reaction other than 'deeply relaxed'

The fact that your client has had these experiences means that you have stimulated body systems which are underused and are now being 'jump started' by your treatment, as long as the client is willing to receive further treatments I would go ahead full of confidence that your work is actually doing something and will have an eventual beneficial effect.

 

[P3RF3CTLY FLAW3D]

Aching muscles is an after effect of massage. If he has not exercised then his muscles are not used to working. The massage has manipulated them so like a full workout for him. Its important that he drinks lots of water to clear out all the toxins. You will find that in his next massage am sure that he won't feel as stiff as the first.

 

[cjesuusbirwisnefn]

When I work deeply with clients, I always tell them they may feel a bit sore for the next 24-48 hours, a bit like having done a workout, so they know what to expect. This is normal. And as people have said, everyone is different and will respond differently to a treatment.

However if there are bruises, or if he is still sore after 48 hours, then you have probably overdone it a little bit.

Make sure you always offer your client a glass of water and also advise him to drink a few extra glasses of water in the hours following the treatment.

Good luck!

 

[Pompal 09.]

I am also taking my first Holistic Massage Therapy course, and yesterday did my first full body case study on a fellow student in class. What happened with her, and another student I partially worked on last week, was that they both said their legs became cold while I was working on their legs. The student yesterday asked to be covered with an additional blanket. Otherwise, neither had any complaints about my work. I couldn't help think that I must be doing something wrong. My confidence has been shaken. Any comments or advice? Cheers!

 

[pearlmar]

Probably just a draughty room! As Tiggerbabe said above, be grateful for any detail that will liven up your case study write-ups.

 

[usalgandamn]

If your classroom is anything like the ones at my college, it can get a bit chilly, but the working therapist obviously would not notice this!

Don't let it knock your confidence, the client feeling chilly has nothing to do with your performance and remember, any feedback, good or bad, is really important to becoming a good therapist!

 

[Pedro Ruiz]

I get cold as soon as I get on a massage couch - it is an effect of relaxation. Hence the treatment room should be slightly warmer than usual room temperature.

 

[Just-Me]

Thank you all for your encouragement. It has been windy and cold here, and we are on the 2nd floor of an old, stone building with a large window in the room. I suppose for the client, it could be cold. As the therapist, wearing a rather heavy tunic, I get hot rather quickly. I should probably find something lighter to wear. What concerned me is that it's only my "client" that gets cold. The others (there are six of us in total in the class, three acting as therapist and three as client each week) don't seem to have this issue - at least the other "clients" aren't speaking up about it.