Special Pops

Monday night class was awesome!! Special Populations – we discussed the many variances of who constitutes a member of a special population, and it can be anyone, really, because all of us have some type of “issue”. However, the definition we came up with: Any condition that limits/interferes with daily activities. It can be temporary, for example, a sprained ankle will eventually heal (or should), so while it limits daily activities for a while, it isn’t a permanent condition. The segment of population we will be working with have a permanent condition. The first 4 weeks will be lectures, discussions, preparing for an actual client who will be assigned to us for 3 weeks. We will do a complete intake interview, assessment, and design a massage treatment just for that person. They, in turn, will provide comprehensive feedback. Some of the clients who participate in clinic have been in the program for 15+ years; as long as they are benefitting and are providing good learning tools for the practitioner, they can remain. Many of these folks cannot afford a massage elsewhere, so their involvement is a privilege taken seriously…and while we may not provide a “cure” or even make them feel better, depending on the condition, as long as we help them to maintain the benchmark already established. For some, that is the best we can hope for. We are expected to establish a client/practitioner relationship…I am so excited!! I also have a research paper due on 1/25 on strokes, what it is, population affected, and if massage is indicated. Tonight’s class is Ethics. I can hardly believe I am in the third quarter!! June will be here before I know it!!

One of the questions the instructor asked was…recalling your earliest memory of when you were exposed/introduced to a “disabled” person, how did it make you feel, what were your thoughts? Some classmates talked about a relative who was mentally challenged, a grandfather who was in a wheelchair, an amputee co-worker; we used names (not very nice ones) commonly used to describe these type of conditions, and while it made me feel uncomfortable, I had to acknowledge that is what people say. I remember my nana’s younger brother had a leg about 6 inches shorter than the other. He wore a shoe that had an iron(?) attachment, and he also used crutches. I was afraid of him maybe because he was different or perhaps because the adults were so hush hush about him...as if he had a contagious illness or something. I believe he contracted polio which stunted the growth in one leg. One of the reasons why we shun those different from ourselves is fear…we are afraid of “catching” what they have, or we are afraid of what we do not understand. How sad for the person who is ignored, sadder for us who choose to see those different from us as less than. A person is human first, with a condition, not the other way around.

Talk soon...