Let’s take a look at what it means to take your sports massage skills to the next stage with our level 4 sports diploma, which dives deep into understanding the interconnectedness of the body and how to effectively treat chronic injuries.
KEY LEARNINGS:
Connections in the body
Assessment
Special Tests
Elevated Surface Anatomy
Studying Level 4 sports massage will transform your practice. If you've encountered clients with recurring issues like lower back pain, shoulder blade discomfort, or repeated hamstring pulls and found your treatments only temporarily relieving, Level 4 will give you the tools to resolve these chronic issues effectively.
A serious understanding of surface anatomy is crucial at this level. It takes you to a much more detailed level of understanding for example separating the adductors, and understanding their interrelations. This knowledge is vital for accurately assessing and treating injuries.
One of the most significant advancements you'll make at Level 4 is the comprehensive understanding of how different muscle groups interrelate and learning to connect injuries with their underlying causes. At level 4 we develop the understanding that fascial links through chronic injuries affect the entire body. For instance, a shoulder injury might actually be linked to issues in the hips and lower limbs or the connection between neck pain and the pelvis. Your treatment plan will not only focus on relieving immediate pain but also on identifying and addressing the root causes to prevent recurrence. This is a major advancement in your learning from level 3 and will be the foundational understanding for you to start making a lasting difference for clients.
To effectively diagnose and treat injuries, you'll learn a series of orthopaedic and physiotherapy special tests. These tests allow you to assess joints and ligaments to determine if the pain is due to joint or ligament damage, or if it's muscular and related to soft tissue. Often, the cause is a combination of factors. For example, piriformis syndrome or sciatic nerve pain might stem from nerve damage in the lower back or nerve impingement in the glutes. The advanced assessment techniques that you’ll learn help you become more intelligent, efficient and accurate in your diagnosis and treatment plans.
Working with short tissue is a big part of Level 4. You'll master techniques for treating tissue that is "locked short" rather than "locked long." Techniques such as Soft Tissue Release (STR), Muscle Energy Technique (MET), cross-fibre techniques, and trigger point therapy will become part of your toolkit.
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Learn sports massage underpinned by anatomy and physiology within the highest industry standards. Gain a professional sports massage qualification through a blend of interactive online home study and classroom attendance.