A Full Body Massage with Extra Pressure - Case Study Example

Case Study of Holistic Massage Client Profile The client is Mrs. Zena, who is 28 years old from Egypt. She is married to Chris Romney and has two boys. Her husband is an electrical engineer, and they live together in Qatar. She works as assistant director of administration in a company nearby their home. Her work is a part time job. Following last year’s retrenchment from her job, she managed to get another job this year from another company. Last year was very stressful for her and even early this year she felt under-utilised by the new employer. Out of frustrations, she decided to quit the job and fortunately found another well-paying job in a new company (Tucker 88). During this time, she had a wedding for which she arranged by herself within a short period. These multiple job moves and the wedding added stress to her life despite her pro-active approach to life issues. She loves to eat fast food, which is usually sweet and unhealthy. It is her wish to eat such food at all times. My client has a very huge body although she claims that she loves dancing and singing. Dancing to songs has not reduced her weight and therefore she needs more physical exercises. The lady has character traits such as cracking jokes, laughing and active in everyday activities. After visiting the doctor for three treatments last month, she decided now to come for body massage from our hospital. She has taken Mascadal medicine for the muscle pains and other herbal medicines in the attempt to reduce the back pain. She works in an office with little or no exposure to daylight and has a poor sleeping pattern. She doesn’t smoke and hardly exercises after work. She has visited several physiotherapists but the severe back pains have persisted. She stopped running the marathon races, and her training schedule stopped completely. The physiotherapist recommended her to exercise more so as to reduce the back pains. Recently, she has started swimming once in seven days and cycling regularly (Tucker 89). These exercises have helped, and now she is in good health. She has no smoking history, and she eats a healthy diet, as well. Her skin has dried up, but, she thinks it is because of her age, not her health status. According to her response, she thinks that the pains on her back results from overtraining and the rapid changes in her working environments. In addition, she is convinced that massage can relax her back muscles and improve her blood circulation. As a result, the massage will prevent the aches to occur even in the future (Tucker 90). Reason for Treatment The muscle pains have occurred intermittently in the pelvic area, the shoulders legs and at the back. The pains started in July and persisted for a period may be due to the changes in the office environment, as well as, poor working conditions. However, her muscles have eased, but, Mrs Zena is worried that the pains might return in the future. Treatment Plan We can propose a full body massage once a week for a period of four weeks. Particular emphasis should be focused on the tensioned muscle areas during the massage so as to reduce muscle stiffness (Tucker 91). However, she ought not to be massaged on her “abdominal area” because it a “caesarean delivery place.” Treatment 1(Tucker 92) Details of how the physiotherapist conducted the first treatment I performed a full body massage with extra pressure on the shoulders, lower back and the back muscles of the legs. Oil was used as the massage medium because it is light and easily absorbed. There was need to adjust the work pressure used on the back since the client experienced discomfort during the massage. She could tolerate when I used a lighter massage pressure on her lower back. Details of how the client felt during and after the treatment She was talkative throughout the treatment period since she experienced treatment from a therapist not a doctor. Pressure was applied lightly in the pelvic area for her to tolerate the discomfort. She finally felt relaxed and refreshed with her back feeling a bit loser. Homecare given She was given a glass of water after the treatment and advice to increase her water intake and cut down her caffeine intake. In addition, she was advised to relax for the rest of the evening, but, to exercise later in the week. Reflective Practice I felt pleased after the end of the first treatment. I would have enjoyed more if she kept quiet during the treatment. It is important to create a rapport with the client to enquire for more information and relieve her stress. Treatment 2 (Tucker 94) Details of how the therapist conducted the second treatment Although the client felt relaxed after the first treatment, the lower back pain returned very quickly. Her health has not changed at all this week. I conducted a full body massage of the lower back area and on the shoulders muscles using the full range massage movements. I worked on her legs, which were quite stiff. Details of how the client felt during and after the treatment She was on a tight schedule when she came for the treatment. Though she felt comfortable during the massage, her mind was disturbed due to the strict deadline. She said that she is relaxed and left quickly after taking a glass of water. Homecare given She was advised to raise her water intake levels and exercise regularly as advised by the therapist before next week. Reflective practice Due to her uneasiness I felt rushed through the massage movements. I worked on her very quickly, and she left. She claimed to be relaxed though she seemed uneasy throughout the massage. Treatment 3 Details of how the physiotherapist conducted the first treatment She had been very busy this since she has spent much time at work. She seems tense and her lower back stiffness has eased may be because she has been busy. She thinks that looking much to her computer makes her tense and stiff. She feels relaxed mentally. Full body massage was recommended, and the client experienced stiffness though her skin absorbed oil very well. I worked over the lower back area well without her experiencing discomfort. Details of how the client felt during and after the first treatment During the treatment, she felt tired due to the increased workload on her body. She was conscious of the back tension when I was massaging her. Her stiff back, legs and shoulders’ muscles were painful to touch during the treatment. She has been working with her computer during this week. She felt relaxed at the end of the massage, and she has been quiet, this week. Homecare advice given She was given a glass of water after the treatment and advised to take water when she is at home. She will start her training program after a short time. She is pleased with the good impacts of regular massage on her lower back muscles. Her desk arrangement should allow her to stretch herself and take decaffeinated coffee while in her office. Reflective Practice I was confident this evening, and the massage helped Mrs Romney relax and reduce her chats with me. It seems that the massage was beneficial, but, the last week treatment affected her because she was forced to rush to an appointment immediately after the treatment. She didn’t relax well. Treatment 4 (Tucker 95) How the therapist conducted the fourth treatment Mrs Romney arrived for massage in a cheerful manner. She completed a bicycle ride this week despite her increased workload. She feels calm and relaxed and ready to her previous work and running programmes. Full body massage on her body was carried out. She felt little or no discomfort on her lower back during the massage. Though the tense shifted to the upper back, it will be workable with less discomfort to the client. How the client felt during and after the treatment She has found her treatments beneficial, and she can cope with her new job demands. The massage on her back was comfortable and less painful during the treatment. She feels the effect of the past three treatments and feels more relaxed between sessions. Home care given She took a glass of water after the massage operation. She is continuing to increase her water intake and stopped caffeine intake. She is working on the recommended exercises, and now she must warm up and cool down during those exercises so as to keep her body without pain. Reflective practice I was happy to observe how the treatment has worked on Mrs Romney, who has now returned to her work and started soccer and running programmes. It was easy to note the improvements on her body, as well as, the tensioned muscles. Through a deep and continuous massage, the client even encouraged me to work on her quickly since she experienced very little discomfort. Overall conclusion Mr Romney has benefited much from the weekly treatments, despite the increased workloads. She can cope with her new job demands and finds it helpful to drink more water and practice regularly. She has taken the home care advice throughout the treatments, and this has contributed to her wellness. Works Cited Tucker, Louise. An Introductory Guide to Massage. London: EMS Pub, 2008. Print. Read More