Before the Table: Assessments

Massage therapy appointments can be generalized into two types; relaxation and therapeutic.

For a therapeutic massage treatment there is a bit more work to do before getting on the table. With the health history form complete, the therapist is then ready to start the investigation. This is done by a collection of the health history information, the interview process between client and therapist, and assessments, or tests.

Assessments are the foundation of the treatment process. It creates a guideline for tracking progress in the series of treatments for a specific condition. RMTs run tests to seek out what is going on to create the symptoms at hand. It is mostly like a process of elimination. Doctors are trained to assess as well as interpret laboratory tests and x-rays, and therefore diagnose conditions, RMTs are not.

Clients should be made aware of the general type of test they will do. This will allow an opportunity for the client to better understand the condition, there for allowing a more active role in the recovery process.

As mentioned before, the findings during the assessment phase do not permit the RMT to diagnose a condition. RMT’s don their investigative hat. They are trained to perform orthopaedic tests and interpret them. Even if a client arrives at an initial appointment with a diagnosis from a doctor, the therapist will likely want to run a few tests as well. This allows the discovery of what is potentially creating the problem and highlight other structures involved. The symptom area may not be the same area as the root of the problem. The therapist may treat both areas, or only focus on one.

Patience with the work at the assessment portion of the hour (or half hour) will make for the appropriate treatment. If the issue being addressed through massage therapy requires a series of appointments, the original assessments will serve as a reference point to chart progress further down the road. Reassessment after a series of appointments is good practice as well. This is a great way for the RMT to gage the productivity of the treatment plan and gives a chance for the client to see the positive effects (or otherwise) of the therapy.

The assessments vary with therapists regarding the amount, type and frequency of the tests. For example, one therapist may seek what they are looking for by a manual tests and another RMT might find what clues they need by simply looking at the structures of the body. The issue presented by the client will have an influence on which tests to perform.

It is ideal for the therapist to incorporate this foundational step into the first treatment and charge accordingly. If in doubt, ask the therapist if it is part of the hour, half hour, etc. Just as with the health history form, a solid understanding of the situation resulting in an efficient approach to the speed and accuracy of the recovery. 

Observe your body today and seek massage therapy to ease those aches and pains.