In this article, we discuss client feedback and progress analysis in massage and bodywork therapies.
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But first this: the short-term effects of massage and bodywork sessions may vary significantly depending on the type of massage session and the individual receiving it, and may be felt up to a week later.
Mind that massage treatments can be simply for relaxation, or perhaps rather for therapeutic purposes, and in the realm of therapeutics there are many different types of massage therapies.
At any rate, the short-term effects can take many forms: mood swings, better sleep (or perhaps restlessness while sleeping), muscle soreness, tiredness, feeling energetic, having more flexibility and range of motion, feeling emotional highs or lows, activeness or passiveness, among other things.
Most people will have found a new body-mind equilibrium within five to seven days, but there are exceptions. Some clients need a longer period, perhaps ten to fourteen days to digest therapeutic massage and bodywork.
Feedback After Sessions
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Therapists are advised to always allow clients to give feedback or ask questions in the days after a session. Moreover, if a client doesn’t initiate contact, it’s not a bad practice that the therapist contacts them and ask after their experiences.
In any case, if a client has periodic or follow-up treatments, it’s only logical to again do a quick intake assessment when they return, which naturally will have more focus on the effects and results of the previous session, the possible lifestyle changes embarked on, and the exercises (if any were prescribed) the client did at home.
Therapists will commonly maintain a client log in which they note the specific assessments they performed, their diagnosis, the client’s feedback, new observations, and the client’s progress in relation to their health complaints, and so on.
Feedback During Sessions
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Nevertheless, feedback is also given during the actual sessions. For instance, the therapist may see changes in facial expressions during the session flow, hear the sounds clients utter — sighing, moaning, coughing, sometimes even crying or screaming.
Typically, therapists will answer the client’s questions that come up during a session. Sometimes, a client suddenly has long forgotten memories surfacing which may give valuable information to understand the root cause(s) of their health condition.
The client’s body reacts on touch — little shocks, contractions, trembles, evasions, but also softness, openness, and relaxation.
Like the general feedback after a session, this more immediate client feedback during a session can be very important, and as such it’s advised to also note these observations in a client log for further study or consultation.
