Sports massage

[Rhiannon1408]

Hi all,

I'm really interested in taking a sports massage course. I am level 3 trained in Swedish and I've found a level 4 sports massage course that I can go straight onto at my local college.

Just want to get some advice/opinions from you all.

Although I am not a fan of massage when someone wants relaxation, I love when someone comes to me with a problem area that I can really get stuck into. I am involved with the Motorsport industry so I do have a target market (although somewhat seasonal) it's something I believe I would really enjoy as it's helping people.

I am in the process of setting up my own business which will be more reliant on the nail side of things but would love to be able to offer that little something different. I have even been reading about conditions such as arm pump which I come across a lot and familiarising myself with muscles involved in this particular injury/movement. I want to learn more!

Those of you already qualified in sports massage, how much work do you get from this? What's the main clientele? Do any of you work with sports teams alongside physiotherapists?

It's not a cheap course and although I would love to attend I need to make sure it would be beneficial for me and my business. All advice and opinions welcome, thanks in advance.

 

[Rhiannon1408]

Anyone?

 

[squidgernetball]

I have a lady who works alongside me who does remedial massage. A lot of it is in the wording. When you say 'sports massage' people don't think you can help unless their injury is sports related, which narrows your target market. She averages about 3 clients a day - but definitely doesn't push it, and has a lot of real regulars.

 

[RN786]

When I worked in a salon we had a self employed sports massage therapist and she's ridiculously busy (she is very good, thumbs of steel is what I call her lol!) she has a real passion for it and you can tell she really enjoys her job

We as therapists really used to help plug her business also (clients
inadvertently mention aches and pains, from carrying a heavy handbag to sneezing and hurting their back whilst having other treatments done) and explain to the clients you dont have to be a sporty person to have sports massage. She ran an incentive that for every 2 people we recommend she'd give us 30 min treatment which was brill!

Also my personal trainer did sports massage and worked along side rugby/football teams and found it to be good experience. If I remember rightly she was picked to help during the olympics as well, so see it can open up many opportunities!

 

[Rhiannon1408]

Thank you for your replies

I think it's definitely something I want to do, now to find the money to fund the course!

 

[jcpark]

I am a qualified sports and remedial massage therapist. I do others forms of bodywork too, but I would say that 99% of my client treatments involve some remedial work.

However, a level 4 sports massage course is not sufficient to treat problems. It will give you more than your level 3 Swedish advanced techniques, more advanced A&P, palpation, postural assessment etc, but it is NOT sufficient to treat problems. In fact, the current level 4 is actually the old level 3 with a couple of additions so it has recently been downgraded.

If you want to treat problems - and like you, I find general massage boring, and have always done remedial work - then you would need to train to level 5.

There are some good schools that do level 5 qualifications, but be aware that your insurance will not cover you to treat problems with a level 4 qualification.

Sorry, just to add, much of the training in sports massage (level 5) is the same as remedial massage so there is a lot of cross over, although sports massage will also cover sports specific injuries etc. There are very few courses in remedial massage so most train in sports massage (although Jing do a good BTEC level 6 which doesn't teach you any more than a sports level 5).

As a level 4 sports massage therapist, you won't be in much demand - although you will probably get general massage clients who would rather have a massage from someone more qualified. But at level 5 you will definitely be in demand.

Good luck.

PS - Although based in London, I'm pretty sure the LSSM run courses in Southampton. It won't be cheap, but it is an investment in your future. I've just spent £3000 on training this year as I'm moving into a different field and it seems a pretty standard cost for a professional level diploma in most therapies.

 

[Rhiannon1408]

I am a qualified sports and remedial massage therapist. I do others forms of bodywork too, but I would say that 99% of my client treatments involve some remedial work.

However, a level 4 sports massage course is not sufficient to treat problems. It will give you more than your level 3 Swedish advanced techniques, more advanced A&P, palpation, postural assessment etc, but it is NOT sufficient to treat problems. In fact, the current level 4 is actually the old level 3 with a couple of additions so it has recently been downgraded.

If you want to treat problems - and like you, I find general massage boring, and have always done remedial work - then you would need to train to level 5.

There are some good schools that do level 5 qualifications, but be aware that your insurance will not cover you to treat problems with a level 4 qualification.

Sorry, just to add, much of the training in sports massage (level 5) is the same as remedial massage so there is a lot of cross over, although sports massage will also cover sports specific injuries etc. There are very few courses in remedial massage so most train in sports massage (although Jing do a good BTEC level 6 which doesn't teach you any more than a sports level 5).

As a level 4 sports massage therapist, you won't be in much demand - although you will probably get general massage clients who would rather have a massage from someone more qualified. But at level 5 you will definitely be in demand.

Good luck.

PS - Although based in London, I'm pretty sure the LSSM run courses in Southampton. It won't be cheap, but it is an investment in your future. I've just spent £3000 on training this year as I'm moving into a different field and it seems a pretty standard cost for a professional level diploma in most therapies.

Thank you so much for your very helpful reply.

This is the course I was looking at http://www.eastleigh.ac.uk/all-courses/adult-education/all-courses/course/8530/19712/MASMD4.aspx

Obviously I would like to be as highly qualified as possible so this level 4 course would hopefully be a step towards when I can afford to do a level 5 as I definitely think its more the sports injuries bit that interests me.

The course description states that it teaches to deal with minor sports injuries and I would also like to do a strapping and taping course when funds allow.

 

[jcpark]

Thank you so much for your very helpful reply.

This is the course I was looking at Eastleigh College

Obviously I would like to be as highly qualified as possible so this level 4 course would hopefully be a step towards when I can afford to do a level 5 as I definitely think its more the sports injuries bit that interests me.

The course description states that it teaches to deal with minor sports injuries and I would also like to do a strapping and taping course when funds allow.

While you will certainly learn more than you now know, you will be limited with this course. I'm not a fan of VTCT and they don't have a great reputation within the massage industry due to their varying standards and accrediting courses that fall short of national (and their own) standards.

Level 4 really is more about preventing and managing injury rather than treating it. It is still pretty basic. If you can stretch to it I would recommend doing the level 5 from the start. Your level 5 will cover what you have learnt on level 4 anyway, so you will be repeating it, so you will be paying twice. I know finances can be a problem, but if you can stretch to it, most diploma courses allow you to pay in instalments over the year, making it more accessible to those who don't have access to full fees and I'm pretty sure LSSM do.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[echob]

This is wonderful! was thinking of applying to Eastleigh college too, but now put my name down for the waiting list for LSSM, had a look at there website, much more what I want even at more than twice the cost :s so fingers crossed!