Jo Lade

In fact the time I spend with my clients is only one part of the whole treatment process – every time I encounter a new condition I put a lot of time in to research about it and into different treatment approaches – to make sure that I can be as effective as possible when treating this person.

Also I’m a bit preoccupied with a race I’m doing in less than two weeks' time now – the Ravenstonedale Red 10k. This is a new venture for me – running, I’ve always done a lot of swimming and cycling, but this year I decided to have a go at running – which was a great idea in the summer, but now it’s dark and cold and I’ve got this competitive spirit in me that drives me to enter this race and NOT be last, so I’m training one evening a week as well as at weekends. Hmm, seemed like a good idea back in June…

I’ve been enjoying it 'til now, perhaps it’s nerves as well! I’ll be glad when it’s over and I can go back to running for the enjoyment of it and not because there’s a race coming up.

Also it’s been a busy time with other events – I’ve done some post-event massage at a cycling event near Kendal which was great fun – the Three Counties Challenge. This is a busy time of the year for sorting out next year’s advertising, and also planning what CPD (Continuing Professional Development) I’m going to do in 2008.

This year was easy as I was invited to assist at a large three-day Orthopaedic Massage training event organised by my governing body the LCSP Register, so that covered me for 2007.

That was a great weekend – it brought together a team of 12 practitioners from all over the country who were pre-trained so that we could assist on the actual course which was taken by a leading American Orthopaedic Massage practitioner James Waslaski. He was fantastic and a real inspiration, and he combines some of the most important aspects of my practice which are that treatments should be pain-free, that effective treatment is a collaboration between client and practitioner, and the importance of stretching.

I think I’m a bit of a nag with my clients about this last one – but there is definitely a measurable beneficial difference between clients who stretch in between treatments and those that don’t. The treatment effects last a lot longer if you do stretch and it’s also a way for the client to stave off the first signs of tension building back up in the soft-tissues, before things get to a level where they limit ranges of movement and create pain.

I could rant on about this one forever, and I’m sure I will at a later date! That reminds me I must do my stretching before I go out to train tonight…