A glimpse into the life of James Cooney
Inertia Massage Therapist
People will often ask me what my day typically consists of and how I can maintain my body with the rigorous demands massaging takes on the body.
So I thought I would share with you what a day usually typically consists of for a massage therapist.
Before Work
Having a routine in the morning sets me up ready to attack the day. I typically will do a workout as soon as I wake up whether it be a strength workout, pilates or yoga. This helps ensure my body is warmed up ready for the day but also to strengthen and activate it so that I can apply enough force and pressure to clients that is necessary.
There is nothing worse for a client than to have a therapist massage you with cold hands and as someone who suffers from poor circulation in there hands in the morning, I need to get them warm everyday (especially in winter). When driving into work I normally wear snow gloves to keep them warm or if I forget, I will make sure I run them under hot water before my first client.
Once I walk into the treatment room, everything else around me becomes secondary and I make my client the primary focus.
Seeing Clients
Before starting a treatment with a new client, I will talk to them about their previous medical history, any injuries and their goals of the treatment. I will go through testing to not only the problem areas, but I will go through testing to other regions as even with an existing client, I will do the same procedure as things may have changed in their lives and might want something different in their treatment.
Every client is different in what they present with and their medical history, so you have to ensure the client has the right plan. Even little things like what type of medication they are taking will determine what the treatment plan will be for the client.
Once I have an understanding of the client’s medical profile and goals, I will develop a treatment plan that will address their specific needs and discuss it with the client to ensure they are happy with it.
After the massage is finished, I will talk to the client about their experience, go through some testing to see how they have progressed from when they came in to after the treatment. I will offer advice on what they can do at home as part of their treatment plan and suggest an appointment schedule as it relates to the treatment plan.
It is vital to record every treatment for a client, so you can update or change their treatment plan as needed, not only to see how we progress every treatment but if I need to refer to another allied health professional, they will know what I have done and what further assistance that patient may require
Finishing the Day
After my shift is complete, I will look over all of the notes I have done for the day to ensure I haven’t missed anything and look over the client’s I have for the following day to ensure I know what I have to prepare for.
Usually I will see 5-6 clients per day, so I will do some recovery to make sure my body is ready to go for tomorrow. Whether it be some light stretching, foam rolling, using a massage ball, some times and infrared sauna, just something to help my body heal from the day and prepare it for the following days work.
