Unit of competency details

HLT07 Version 4

HLT07 Version 5

Comments

HLTREM513B Provide remedial massage treatment to athletes

HLTREM513C - Provide remedial massage treatment to athletes

Unit updated in V5.

ISC upgrade changes to remove references to old OHS legislation and replace with references to new WHS legislation.

Added points to Essential Knowledge

No change to competency outcome

Descriptor 

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to administer remedial massage treatments for athletes

This unit is based upon SRSMAS009A Integrate massage techniques to support athletes

Application 

This unit may apply to work in massage in a range of settings and contexts

Employability Skills 

This unit contains Employability Skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Identify common musculoskeletal injuries and associated treatment procedures

1.1 Identify and describe common musculoskeletal injuries in sport and their causes

1.2 Explain and describe Industry standard massage therapy principles regarding procedures and/or approaches for treating common musculoskeletal injuries in sport

2. Treat common musculoskeletal injuries

2.1 Develop a treatment package incorporating packaging of advanced massage techniques and/or massage therapy techniques to treat common musculoskeletal injuries in sport for the client in a massage therapy setting

2.2 Implement a treatment package through the integration of various techniques

2.3 Recommend relevant thermotherapy, cryotherapy and corrective exercise for rehabilitation of sporting injuries to the client

2.4 Establish, explain, clarify and instigate self-management programs with the client

2.5 Refer client to other health professionals in relation to areas/aspects in which the therapist is not currently competent

3. Provide support packages for a client

3.1 Incorporate relevant elements of pre-event massage, post-event massage and maintenance massage in the client's massage therapy treatment plan

3.2 Establish, explain, clarify and instigate self-management programs with the client

3.3 Advise client and teach relevant self massage techniques to assist in self management programs

3.4 Explain and discuss contraindications for massage with client

3.5 Explain advantages and/or disadvantages of taping and/or splinting

4. Evaluate services/treatment

4.1 Build and maintain a relationship of trust with the client, with active promotion of and strict adherence to confidentiality

4.2 Undertake monitoring of client health in line with plan of care

4.3 Question client/carer to ascertain their level of comfort and compliance with the treatment

4.4 Ascertain degree of improvement or changes in the client's condition and compare with expectations in the plan of care

4.5 Provide client with clear information about their level of improvement in relation to their plan of care

4.6 Assess and review of treatment as required

4.7 Document progress according to requirements

4.8 Evaluate impact of ongoing treatment in relation to client's physical, mental and emotional condition and behaviour

4.9 Encourage clients to maintain their health by active involvement in their treatment and plan of care

4.10 Consult with other treatment practitioners as necessary and appropriate

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes knowledge of:

• Awareness of range of motion requirements for common sports
• Common musculoskeletal injuries in sport
• Comprehensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology and the ability to integrate knowledge of massage therapy techniques and modalities to provide a comprehensive massage treatment package for athlete/client, in particular athlete/client with sports injuries
• Range of professionals for referral of client
• Relevant human anatomy and physiology
• Relevant nutrition for the general well-being of clients
• Relevant pathology/symptomology
• Relevant pharmacology
• Relevant principles of human movement and sport biomechanics
• Stages of rehabilitation of sporting injuries

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

This includes the ability to:

• Apply knowledge and appropriate techniques to
• Assess sports injuries
• Convey and interpret information
• Demonstrate comprehensive ability to apply tactile techniques
• Demonstrate comprehensive ability to gather and interpret information through the tactile senses
• Design an advanced treatment plan and describe it's progressions
• Develop a treatment package incorporating packaging of advanced massage techniques and/or massage therapy techniques to treat common sports injuries
• Establish, explain, clarify and instigate self-management programs with athlete/client's
• Identify common sports injuries
• Implement a treatment package through the integration of various techniques and modalities
• Palpate and identify all bones/structures and muscle groups available to palpation
• Recommend thermotherapy, cryotherapy, corrective exercise for rehabilitation of sporting injuries
• Use adequate numeracy and literacy skills

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:

• The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
• Observation of performance in the workplace or a simulated workplace (defined as a supervised clinic)
• Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
• Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
• Assessment may contain both theoretical and practical components and examples covering a range of clinical situations
• Assessment of sole practitioners must include a range of clinical situations and different client groups covering at minimum, age, culture and gender
• Assessment of sole practitioners must consider their unique workplace context, including:

• interaction with others in the broader professional community as part of the sole practitioner's workplace
• scope of practice as detailed in the qualification and component competency units
• holistic/integrated assessment including:
• working within the practice framework
• performing a health assessment
• assessing the client
• planning treatment
• providing treatment

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

• Access to athlete/client
• Massage therapy facilities in a massage therapy setting, or competition/activity setting
• Massage therapy equipment

Method of assessment

• Observation in the workplace
• Written assignments/projects or questioning should be used to assess knowledge
• Case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice
• Clinical skills involving direct client care are to be assessed initially in a simulated clinical setting. If successful, a second assessment is to be conducted during workplace application under direct supervision

Access and equity considerations:

• All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
• All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
• In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Related units:

This unit should be assessed after or in conjunction with the following related units:

• HLTAP501B Analyse health information
• HLTREM502C Provide remedial massage treatment
• HLTREM503C Plan the remedial massage treatment strategy
• HLTREM504C Apply remedial massage assessment framework
• HLTREM505C Perform remedial massage health assessment
• HLTREM510B Provide specialised massage treatment

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Clientsmay include:

Athletes who:

• are usually committed and self-motivated to return to optimal function and/or improve performance can be so motivated that unnecessary pain is tolerated in mistaken belief that 'no pain, no gain'
• can be talented with various levels of motivation and commitment
• may be beginner through to high performance level competitors
• can be

• female or male
• with or without a disability or special needs
• with or without social disadvantage
• and/or from minority ethnic and cultural groups

Common musculoskeletal injuries may include but are not limited to:

• Sporting injuries that may be divided into acute injuries and overuse injuries which include:

• bones
• acute
• fracture
• periosteal contusion
• overuse
• stress fracture
• 'bone strain', 'stress reaction'
• osteitis/periostitis
• apophysitis
• articular cartilage
• acute
• osteochondral/chondral fractures
• minor osteochondral injury
• chondropathy, eg, softening, fibrillation, fissuring, chondromalacia 
• acute
• dislocation
• subluxation
• overuse
• synovitis
• osteoarthritis

continued ...

Common musculoskeletal injuries (contd):

• Ligament injuries:

• acute
• sprain/tear (grades I - III)
• overuse

• Muscle injuries:(and associated extrinsic and intrinsic fascia)

• strain/tear (grades I - III)
• contusion
• cramp
• acute compartment syndrome
• overuse
• chronic compartment syndrome
• delayed onset muscle soreness
• focal tissue thickening/fibrosis

• Tendon injuries:

• acute
• tear (complete or partial)
• overuse
• tendinitis
• paratendinitis/tenosynovitis
• tendinosis
• tendinopathy

• Bursa injury:

• acute
• traumatic bursitis
• overuse
• bursitis

• Nerve injury:

• acute
• neuropraxia
• minor nerve injury/irritation
• overuse
• entrapment
• increased neural tension
• altered adverse neurodynamics

• Skin injury:

• acute
• laceration
• abrasion
• puncture wound
• overuse

Contraindications for massage may include:

• Massage therapists are not expected to diagnose any conditions but must be able to recognise the indications and contraindications of conditions
• Massage is contraindicated in all infectious diseases suggested by fever, nausea and lethargy until a diagnosis is received and recommended by a medical practitioner
• Always refer for diagnosis when symptoms do not have a logical explanation
• Indications for referral include

• pain,local, sharp, dull, achy, deep, surface
• fatigue
• inflammation
• lumps and tissue changes
• rashes and changes in the skin
• edema
• mood alterations, eg, depression, anxiety
• infection
• changes in habits such as appetite elimination or sleep
• bleeding and bruising
• nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
• temperature - hot or cold

• Endangerment sites are areas where nerves and blood vessels lie close to the skin and are not well protected

• anterior triangle of the neck
• posterior triangle of the neck
• axillary area
• medial epicondyle
• lateral epicondyle
• area of the sternal notch and anterior throat
• umbilicus area
• twelfth rib dorsal body
• sciatic notch
• inguinal triangle
• popliteal fossa

Cryotherapy includes:

• Application of fundamental forms of cryotherapy refers to

• conduction, eg, cold packs, ice massage and immersion baths
• convection, eg, cooling devices

• Possible adverse reactions to topical applications of cryotherapy refers to

• skin irritations
• neural irritations
• muscle cramps

• Indications for cryotherapy refers to

• acute injury
• inflammation

• Contraindications and precautions for cryotherapy refers to

• any contraindication for massage
• in particular
• skin disorders
• open wounds

• Correct duration for cryotherapy refers to

• adequate time to achieve cryotherapy goals without adverse reactions, eg, Huntington's response
• usually 10 minutes

Industry standard massage therapy principles may include:

• Relevant national, state/territory or local massage therapy organisations' and/or associations' Code of Ethics or Code of Conduct documents/policies, regulations and guidelines
• Relevant national, state/territory or local government regulations and guidelines
• Accepted preventative practices adopted by self or peers to minimise safety hazards and risks in the same or similar situations
• Current and past good practice demonstrated by self or peers in the same or similar situation

Integration of various techniques may include:

• The integration of

• trigger point techniques
• Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation stretching
• deep transverse friction techniques
• myofascial tension techniques
• corrective exercise
• stretching including static/dynamic and contract-relax protocols

Massage therapy setting refers to:

• Any genuine work environment where massage therapy is provided

• clinics
• change rooms
• open or enclosed areas at sporting events
• accommodation venues
• in transit, ie, on buses, planes

Other health professionals may include:

• Practitioners who can competently make assessments regarding conditions that may potentially be complicated by the application of massage techniques
• Medical practitioners
• Physiotherapists
• Chiropractors
• Osteopaths
• Other massage therapists with current competencies in modalities outside the scope of the practitioner, eg, specialising in oriental modalities
• Naturopaths/homeopath therapists
• Podiatrists
• Yoga/relaxation/tai chi instructors
• Dentists
• Exercise therapists
• Acupuncturists

Pre-event massage may include:

• Integration of treatment techniques to assist the athlete/client with
• Physiological warm-up
• Psychological preparation including

• where appropriate, stress release, ie, relaxation
• where appropriate, to raise pre-event arousal levels

Post-event massage may include:

• Integration of treatment techniques to assist the athlete/client with

• physiological cool-down, ie, return to homeostasis
• physiological recovery, ie, removal of lactic acid
• where appropriate, psychological recovery, ie, emotional stress release
• identify potential injuries and commence appropriate treatment
• the restoration of range of motion/flexibility

Maintenance massage may include:

• A package of massage therapy techniques designed to assist injury prevention, physiological recovery, tissue extensibility, muscle tone, ie, reduction of micro-tears in myofibrils

Self-management program may include

• Assisting the client in areas such as

• activities or tasks to avoid
• warm-ups and cool downs
• simple temperature therapy techniques
• self-massage techniques

Self massage techniques may include:

• Using athlete/client's own hands/forearms/knuckles to perform massage techniques
• Using massage equipment and other appropriate self treatment aids to perform techniques such as

• ice for ice massage
• tennis ball for digital ischaemic pressure and trigger point work

Technique may include:

• A singular massage therapy application, eg, gliding or digital ischemic pressure

Thermotherapy (or heat therapy) may include:

• Application of fundamental forms thermotherapy refers to:

• conduction, eg, heat packs and immersion baths
• radiation, eg, ray lamps
• friction
• topical applications

• Indications for thermotherapy refers to:

• myofascial hypertonicity, ie, stiffness
• fascial adherence

• Contraindications and precautions for thermotherapy refers to:

• any contraindication for massage
• pain,local, sharp, dull, achy, deep, surface
• fatigue
• inflammation
• lumps and tissue changes 
• rashes and changes in the skin 
• edema
• mood alterations, eg, depression, anxiety
• infection 
• changes in habits such as appetite elimination or sleep
• bleeding and bruising
• nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea 
• temperature - hot or cold

Continued

Thermotherapy (or heat therapy) (contd):

• In particular:

• skin disorders
• open wound
• acute injury
• acute inflammation
• vascular disorders

• Correct angle and distance for indirect application of thermotherapy refers to:

• safe and effective placement of the heat lamp
• usually 10-20 minutes
• in accord with manufacturer's instructions and directions
• heat source perpendicular to area to be treated
• minimum distance of 30cm from area to be heated
• appropriate duration for thermotherapy is described
• adequate time to achieve heat therapy goals without adverse reactions

• Possible adverse reactions to topical applications of thermotherapy refers to:

• burning
• skin irritations
• re-initiate internal bleeding

Treatment package/s may include:

• The combination of the assessment process, techniques, modalities and attitudes to achieve prescribed outcomes
• Incorporates the application of the

• principles of relaxation massage, and/or
• principles of remedial massage therapy

• Can incorporate other modalities depending the current competencies of the therapist

Treatment plan/s may include:

• Agreed duration, dependent on the performance parameters and within the scope of the therapists current competencies
• Individualisation to the athlete/client's requirements
• Referral of the athlete/client to an appropriate health practitioner in relation to areas/aspects in which the therapist is not currently competent
• Sequence of events incorporating the application of advanced treatment packages negotiated between the therapist and the athlete/client leading to a desired outcome
• Steps designed to return the athlete/client to optimal function