Diploma of Remedial Massage Therapy

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to determine the remedial massage needs of athletes and to adjust assessment and treatment to develop preventative and injury related treatment strategies for athletes and other sport active people.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Determine scope of massage services required
2. Adapt remedial massage assessment and treatment strategies to athlete needs
3. Monitor and evaluate athlete treatment strategies

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• roles and responsibilities of different people associated with the health management of the athlete
• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for client assessment and treatment:
• relevant principles of human movement and sport biomechanics:
• pre-event and post-event massage techniques and their application
• features of acute, chronic and overuse musculoskeletal injuries in sport, including referral potential, rate of recovery and how massage can assist
• types of cryotherapy or thermotherapy used for recovery from injury and techniques used to apply them
• indications, contraindications and considerations for use of cryotherapy:
• indications, contraindications and considerations for use of thermotherapy:
• uses and indications for taping and splinting that are within scope of massage practice

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to adapt remedial massage assessment and treatment strategies to meet the needs of clients of different genders and at different stages of life. It also includes the requirement to be able to identify and respond to other specific needs with which the practitioner may be unfamiliar.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Adapt assessment and treatment strategies to stages of life
2. Respond to unfamiliar presentations
3. Extend and expand own knowledge base

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for working with specific groups:
• treatment management factors that must be considered for clients of different genders and at different stages of life:
• major developmental milestones for different stages of life
• features of common health conditions that affect the following groups and how those conditions are assessed and treated in the remedial massage framework:
• factors for consideration when providing any form of palliative care
• professional responsibilities when presenting cases fall outside of practitioner’s current scope

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to analyse client health information and then to plan appropriate health services within scope of own role. It requires an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and physiology.

This module applies to individuals who plan and provide services with some level of autonomy. Some disciplines will require a state/territory regulatory determination regarding delegation and supervision.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Assess client health status
2. Plan action to address identified health status

This module covers the following key elements of learning:  

• role responsibilities and limitations for different members of the care team in relation to analysing health information and providing services
• concepts underpinning human anatomy and physiology variations and abnormal findings of the structure and function of human body systems and their interactions:
• anatomical and medical terminology:
• common disorders, problems and complaints associated with each body system and its components relevant to the services being provided
• analysis of abnormal findings from diagnostic procedures and physical assessment
• pathophysiology of diseases associated with each body system and the impact of disease on each body system and their related structures, especially in relation to potential impact of specific health procedures provided
• recognition of the signs and symptoms of common clinical conditions and the (provisional) diagnosis of same
• pharmacological processes and drug actions, indications and contraindications
• effects of biological maturation and ageing processes on body systems and their components and in relation to specific health procedures provided

the impact of:

• common environmental emergencies (diving, altitude, temperature)
• overdose and poisoning
• surgical insult
• trauma (penetrating, blunt)

• basic chemistry (molecules and compounds; chemical reaction, energy; acids and bases) and as related to metabolism, respiration, pH (respiratory and renal acidosis/alkalosis)
• structure and function of cells
• transport systems:

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to gather client information, make a physical assessment of the body and determine massage treatment options.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Determine scope of client needs
2. Make a physical assessment
3. Determine and communicate treatment approach

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for client assessment:
• referral options for massage practitioners
• factors and barriers that may impact on massage assessment:
• factors that affect individual health status:
• client information required prior to physical assessment
• considerations for performing physical massage assessments:
• physical assessment techniques, how and when they are used
• contraindications to treatment and possible indications for referral
• major muscle anatomy

Developing your massage practice requires a broad range of knowledge that creates a sound foundation upon which to build your business. It is an exciting and important aspect of your practice.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Establish foundations of massage practice
2. Represent the massage framework
3. Determine requirements for sustainable massage practice
4. Develop approach to own practice

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• historical development of massage
• different types of sports massage treatments and their key features and purpose, including the difference between relaxation, therapeutic, sports and remedial massage
• key features of complementary therapies used in conjunction with massage
• key features of allied health services and their relationship to massage
• place of massage practice in the broader health care system
• professional massage networks and industry bodies
• different models of professional massage practice and their employment opportunities
• components of sustainable practice:
• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) and how these are applied in individual practice:
• work health and safety

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to work within the health care system and engage effectively with other health professionals, including writing referral reports.

This module applies to individuals working in health or community services who work autonomously with clients in the provision of services.

The core sections to this module are:

1. 1. 1. Use health care systems and services
      2. Interact with health professionals
      3. Make referrals to health professionals

This module covers the following key elements of learning:  

• structure, function and interrelationships of the Australian health care system
• health care professions and allied health services, how they interrelate and their relationship to specific area of practice
• scope of own practice and limitations of own role within the health system
• health system funding and financial structures, and implications for practice and clients

• public and private systems
• health fund eligibility
• current and emerging health industry issues
• other services to which the practitioner may refer clients
• referral reports:
• what information they should include
• how they should be structured
• limitations of information and/or recommendations

This module provides you with a description of skills and knowledge to establish and manage professional one-to-one relationships with clients in the context of providing an ongoing health service or intervention.

This module applies to community services or health workers who have defined responsibilities to work independently with clients within broad but established guidelines.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Establish professional relationship with the client
2. Manage client interactions
3. Provide effective responses to client enquiries

This module covers the following key elements of learning:

• legal and ethical considerations for establishing and managing client relationships and how these are applied:
• modes and techniques for effective communication
• role of motivational interviewing during client interactions to facilitate:
• techniques for motivational interviewing:
• barriers and influences on communication and ways to respond:
• techniques for dealing with difficult communication situations:
• types of information that may be provided to clients as relevant:

This module provides you with a description of skills and knowledge required to research information about compliance and ethical practice responsibilities, and then develop and monitor policies and procedures to meet those responsibilities.

This module applies to people working in roles with managerial responsibility for legal and ethical compliance in small to medium sized organisations. There may or may not be a team of workers involved.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Research information required for legal compliance
2. Determine ethical responsibilities
3. Develop and communicate policies and procedures
4. Monitor compliance
5. Maintain knowledge of compliance requirements

This module covers the following key elements of learning:

• legal responsibilities and liabilities of managers and others in different types of organisation
• legal and ethical frameworks (international, national state/territory, local), how these apply in the workplace, and the responsibilities of managers in the development and monitoring of policies and procedures
• sources of information and advice on compliance including:

• local, state/territory or commonwealth government departments or regulatory agencies
• industry associations
• plain English documentation that explains legislation

• functions and operating procedures of regulatory authorities of particular relevance to the health and community service sectors
• methods of receiving updated information on requirements
• use of policies and procedures in managing compliance and ethical practice in both internal work practice and external service delivery
• formats for policies and procedures and what they should include
• techniques for monitoring compliance

Managing the finances are a ‘must-know’ for the business owner or manager to ensure its ongoing success. Core to the business are key reports – Profit and Loss, Balance Sheets, Cash Flow and Budgets. Think of them like a doctor’s report – you don’t just want your doctor to take your blood pressure to check if your healthy – you want a full report on your bloods, urine, heart and respiratory functions etc.

The combination of the above financial reports lets you know how healthy your business is and identify possible issues or areas to improve.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Implement financial plan
2. Monitor financial performance

This module covers the following key elements of learning:  

• discuss benchmarking
• explain financial decision-making relevant to the business
• summarise significant financial indicators
• outline purposes of financial reports
• clarify preparation and interpretation of budget/actual reports
• identify principles for preparing balance sheets and their interpretation
• outline debt collection procedures or strategies
• characterise principles for preparing profit and loss statements and their interpretation
• discuss stock records and stock control relevant to the business.

As a therapist you may be faced with the possibility of a client presenting at your clinic with some degree of infection. It is important for you to know how to control infection and also prevent infection from occurring within your workplace.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Establish framework for infection prevention and control
2. Establish procedures for hazard identification and risk control
3. Implement and monitor infection prevention and control practices
4. Evaluate infection prevention and control performance

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• key features of infection prevention and control regulation and guidelines and compliance requirements:
• principles and processes of planning
• systems and procedures needed to meet compliance and quality requirements for infection prevention and control:
• links between infection prevention and control systems and other management systems:
• for the specific work environment:
• sustainability considerations for development of infection prevention and control systems and procedures

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to establish, maintain and evaluate work health and safety (WHS) policies, procedures and programs in the relevant work area, according to WHS legislative requirements.

This module applies to workers who have responsibility for WHS as part of their role, including workers with obligations under WHS legislation, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), or their officers (as defined by relevant legislation).

The core sections to this module are:

1. Establish work health and safety practices
2. Facilitate consultation, cooperation and communication
3. Monitor compliance with risk control processes
4. Evaluate and maintain WHS

This module covers the following key elements of learning:

• state/territory legislation and how it impacts on workplace regulations, codes of practice and industry standards
• hazards common to the work environment and strategies for minimisation
• requirements for WHS policies
• principles of hazard and risk management

Understanding how to market a small business or any business is critical to its success. Knowing who your customer is, where they are and why they would buy your product or service are some of the fundamentals of building a marketing plan.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Develop marketing strategies
2. Determine a marketing mix for the business
3. Implement marketing strategies
4. Monitor and improve marketing performance

This module covers the following key elements of learning:  

• Determine objectives of the business plan, including marketing activity focus
• Evaluate customer base
• Understand what is ethically and culturally appropriate
• Determine a marketing mix according to market and business needs
• Determine marketing strategies, including briefing appropriate personnel on their responsibilities
• Monitor and evaluate activities and performance, and correct performance gaps
• Consult and communicate effectively with relevant people
• Research and monitor ongoing changes and improvements

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to monitor and evaluate remedial massage treatments, both from an individual client and whole of practice perspective.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Evaluate client progress
2. Adjust treatment based on evaluation
3. Develop practice from client evaluation

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for monitoring and evaluation:
• types of criteria by which remedial massage treatments are evaluated
• expectations of treatment for different conditions and client groups, and factors that impact on those expectations:
• methods of monitoring treatment progress:
• barriers to therapeutic progress and ways to respond within a massage framework
• sources of research and evidence that support massage practice
• principles underpinning continuation or variation of treatment
• professional development opportunities in remedial massage

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to assess the needs of clients presenting with soft tissue dysfunction, musculoskeletal imbalance or restrictions in range of motion (ROM). It requires the ability to gather client information, conduct specific tests and bring information together to develop a remedial massage treatment plan. There is a strong focus on functional anatomy.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Determine scope of client needs
2. Make a physical assessment
3. Develop treatment plan
4. Confirm assessment and treatment plan with client

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for client assessment:
• referral options for practitioners:
• factors and barriers that may impact on assessment
• factors that affect individual health status:
• client information required for remedial massage assessment and the scope and depth of information needed
• protocols for performing physical massage assessments:
• remedial massage diagnostic techniques, how and when they are used:
• contraindications to treatment and possible indications for referral:
• body systems relevant to massage assessment
• muscular physiology
• nervous system, including myotomes, peripheral nerves, nerve impingements (both root and peripheral)
• integumentary
• skeletal
• muscles – major muscle actions including individual actions, planes and synergistic groups:
• skeleton:
• joints:
• physiology:
• conditions commonly seen by massage therapists
• treatment planning techniques and considerations

This module provides you with a description of the the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and provide massage treatments using a defined range of techniques and sequences.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Prepare client for treatment
2. Use massage techniques and sequences
3. Monitor treatment
4. Provide advice and resources to the client

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• massage techniques and how to apply them
• endangerment sites, where they are and the limitations of touching these depending on scope of practice:
• potential reactions during treatment and how to respond:
• potential reactions following treatment and appropriate client advice to provide
• methods of monitoring treatment progress:
• types of advice and resources that can be provided to clients for their use outside the clinical environment
• documentation requirements for recording treatment details

This module provides you with a description of the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to enable coaches to provide information to support their athletes to apply the principles and practices of nutrition to achieve peak performance in the relevant sporting activity.

The core sections to this module are:

1. 1. Analyse information.
   2. Liaise with nutritional support personnel.
   3. Provide information to athletes.
   4. Assist athletes to implement nutritional practices.
   5. Evaluate the effect of nutritional practices on the performance of athletes.

This module covers the following key elements of learning:

• nutrition guidelines to enable the provision of accurate information about the principles and practices of sports nutrition for training and peak performance to athletes
• principles and practices of nutrition for training and peak performance relevant to specific activity or sport to enable appropriate advice and support to be provided to athletes in specific settings
• appropriate body weight monitoring methods in order to assist athletes to monitor their weight effectively
• principles of safe weight loss and weight gain principles in order to support athletes to adopt nutrition principles maintain an appropriate weight for peak performance
• principles of hydration and fluid replacement practices in order to correctly inform athletes
• organisational policies and procedures to enable athletes to implement strategies regarding nutritional practices in a professional and supported manner
• information sources regarding principles and practices of nutrition for peak performance.

This module provides you with a description of  the skills and knowledge required to gather client information, prepare equipment for reflexology, make observations of the feet and then select and use basic reflexology techniques and sequences based on information and observations.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Prepare for treatment
2. Make feet and hand observations
3. Select and use reflexology techniques and sequences
4. Finalise treatment and advise client

This module covers the following key elements of learning:

• principles of reflexology and zone therapy:
• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for providing relaxation reflexology:
• client information required prior to relaxation treatment
• protocols for conducting reflexology sessions in relation to:
• key features of the reflexology map of hands and feet
• factors to consider in foot observation and how to respond:
• precautions to be taken in reflexology for relaxation
• signs of structural abnormalities, conditions on which to work lightly, often or for a short time
• reflexology relaxation techniques and how to apply them:
• reflexology techniques and sequences and how to apply them:
• use of leverage in reflexology and its appropriate use
• holding and supporting techniques
• factors that affect the level of pressure applied
• basic structure and function of systems and regions of the body and their respective reflexes

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and provide remedial massage treatments based on the outcomes of an existing health assessment and treatment plan.

This module applies to remedial massage therapists working with clients presenting with soft tissue dysfunction, musculoskeletal imbalance or restrictions in range of motion (ROM).

The core sections to this module are:

1. Prepare client for treatment
2. Use remedial massage techniques and sequences
3. Provide advice and resources to the client

This module covers the following key elements of learning

• legal and ethical considerations (national and state/territory) for client assessment:
• remedial massage techniques and how to apply them:
• remedial massage techniques to address the following conditions:
• endangerment sites – where they are and how to use palpatory skills in these areas according to scope of practice
• potential reactions during treatment and how to respond:
• potential reactions following treatment and appropriate client advice to provide
• types of advice and resources that can be provided to clients for their use outside the clinical environment
• documentation requirements for recording treatment details

This module provides you with a description of the skills and knowledge required to evaluate and enhance own practice through a process of reflection and ongoing professional development.

This module applies to workers in all industry sectors who take pro-active responsibility for their own professional development.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Reflect on own practice
2. Enhance own practice
3. Facilitate ongoing professional development

This module covers the following key elements of learning:

• legal and ethical considerations for reviewing and improving own practice, including:
• models and processes of professional reflection
• professional development opportunities
• principles and techniques for:
• creating a personal development plan
• types of work methods and practices which can improve performance
• learning styles and how they relate to different individuals

This module provides you with a description of skills and knowledge required to work respectfully with people from diverse social and cultural groups and situations, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

The core sections to this module are:

1. Reflect on own perspectives
2. Appreciate diversity and inclusiveness, and their benefits
3. Communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and situations
4. Promote understanding across diverse groups

This module covers the following key elements of learning:

• concepts of cultural awareness, cultural safety and cultural competence and how these impact different work roles
• concepts and definitions of diversity
• own culture and the community attitudes, language, policies and structures of that culture and how they impact on different people and groups
• features of diversity in Australia and how this impacts different areas of work and life:
• legal and ethical considerations (international, national, state/territory, local) for working with human rights:
• Universal declaration of human rights
• relationship between human needs and human rights
• frameworks, approaches and instruments used in the workplace
• key areas of diversity and their gender, including transgender
• key aspects, and the diversity, of Australia’s Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultures,
• resources that support individuals and organisations to embrace and respond to diversity
• influences and changing practices in Australia and their impact on the diverse communities that make up Australian society
• impact of diversity practices and experiences on personal behaviour, interpersonal relationships, perception and social expectations of others