PRE-SEASON TRAINING MASSAGE SPORTEX SURVEY PRIZE DRAW

12.30 Finish at rugby club, break for lunch 14.00 Begin treatments at private clinic. Anyone from any background sporting or otherwise. 20.00 End private clinic 20.45 Arrive home for meal and then admin and patient records.

As you will see we have been busy restructuring and redesigning all three of our magazines, but most work has so far gone into sportEX dynamics. We are conscious that many sports massage therapists and sports support practitioners often have multiple ‘freelance’ jobs and our aim with sportEX dynamics is to provide you with a well-rounded magazine which supports you in all facets of your sports-related jobs. For this reason two issues ago we appointed a new editor, Bob Bramah, who is himself a sports massage practitioner and lecturer, an SMA board member and since graduation last year, a chartered physiotherapist.

be quickly and easily applied to good effect actually amongst the training sessions. Of course there are numerous other techniques that could also be applied accordingly at different times and differing situations which would be too extensive to cover here, but hopefully it has provided a brief insight into some of the methods that can be used as a tool to supplement the actual training. In summary, pre-season is an important time for all those serious about their sports, teams and individuals alike. Sports and remedial massage practitioners play an important role in helping to maximise the benefits gained from the pre-season training and can assist in minimising the risk of injury through appropriate treatment and screening of tissues. To ensure the potential benefits are realised the

practitioner must have a sound understanding of the sport, the pre-season training and their trade and be able to adapt their practices according to the individual being treated within various environments. They must also be professional enough to realise their limits and boundaries to enable a successful working partnership within the multidisciplinary medical teams of a sports club. For those wishing to seek further advice or information about training as a sports massage practitioner a good starting point would be the Sports Massage Association www.sportsmassageassociation.org

THE AUTHOR

David Brown is a sports therapist who has been working in professional sports with Northampton Saints RFC since 2004 and Northants Cricket since 2005. In addition

he also has had his own private practice based in Northamptonshire since 2002. He is registered with the Sports Massage Association as a level 4 practitioner. He has studied with the LSSM and Sports Therapy UK and also holds qualifications in fitness instruction, weightlifting and rugby coaching. He is currently studying part-time at Brunel University for a BSc in Physiotherapy. Dave is a typical massage practitioner, working full time but in a number of different environments. Box 1 shows a typical schedule for a day from August 2007 when the cricket and rugby seasons overlap. No one ever said it was an easy job!

www.sportEX.net

Our aim has been to further enhance the ‘easy to read’, approachable format of our articles and give you even more practical, hands-on guidance that is directly relevant to your job. We want to know if the changes we’ve made have achieved this outcome and what else we can do to make sportEX dynamics even more useful to you. We’ve have been fortunate enough to team up with therapy supplier,

Therapy Essentials, to enter those of you who return our questionnaire enclosed in this issue into a prize draw to win a Power Therapist Massage table.

Please complete and return the questionnaire by 9th notify the winner by email by the 23rd

your feedback and hope you enjoy the issue.

NOT ALL MASSAGE TABLES ARE CREATED EQUAL Spencer Randon from the Therapy Essentials, division of Certikin International, is an expert in the design and production of specialist massage tables. Spencer is often asked to train retailers on the importance of choosing the right massage table and believes that if more therapists were given the correct information prior to making a purchase, there would be less disappointment and less money wasted.

“There is no cast-iron formula to finding the right table and often when

buying your first one, you may have to make budgetary compromises,” he explains. “Choosing the right massage table is particularly important if you are a sports massage therapist or if you envisage providing ‘stronger’ therapies at some point. If you are mobile, the decision you make is just as crucial as you will need to be comfortable carrying it, setting it up and packing it away without taking up too much of the time you have available to actually treat your clients.” “The key to a successful purchase is to ensure that you buy a table that is strong enough to withstand regular treatments, hard-wearing enough to absorb the wear and tear of sustained usage and light-weight enough to be portable. Buying your first massage table can be a daunting experience and it can easily eat into your budget, so ask for advice from other therapists and make sure you know what qualities are most important to you for your business.” If you would like further advice on buying a massage table, please email therapyessentials@ certikin.co.uk. For more information on the Affinity Power Therapist Massage table, please visit

www.therapyessentials.co.uk. To find your nearest retailer, please call 0800 083 5530.

DON’T FORGET TO FILL OUT THE ENCLOSED QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN AN AFFINITY POWER THERAPIST MASSAGE TABLE WORTH £280.

17 May 2008 and we will May 2008. We thank you in advance for

WIN

THIS TABLE BY

ENTERING OUR

PRIZE DRAW