“What gets measured, gets managed” was a quote that Jon Torine, Head Strength Coach for the Colts, used during his lecture at the NSCA National Conference to emphasize the importance of using objective testing in the training process.
Basically, if something is important, you need to measure it. Determine what is important to you – deadlifts, squats, cleans, bench press, movement tests, 10yrd dash, vertical jump, etc. If you measure it, you will attempt to manage and improve upon it. If something goes unmeasured, you have less chance of knowing if you are making progress or not. Making it difficult to sustain a well developed training system.
I thought about this quote today as I rolled into the facility to do some soft tissue work on my first client. I was thinking to myself how most massage therapists are in a rush to get people on the table and “do work”.
If we aren’t measuring anything, how do we know if we are being effective? How do we know that we are getting what we want from our treatment? Are we only relying on subjective information provided from our clients, “Yes, that feels a little bit better.” Or are we actually making some improvements in how things work – Do they function better? Move better? Walk better? Has joint mobility and end feel improved? Was there a change in the soft tissue texture and pliability?
“What gets measured, gets managed.”
Take some time out of your treatment session to assess things and see what you can improve on. If you measure something, it will help you put together a treatment plan and hopefully yield favorable results when the session comes to an end. Additionally, if the results were less than favorable you at least have somethings to think about for next time and you will be sure not to repeat the same approach.
Don’t think of your soft tissue/massage work as 60min. of just rubbing lotion on people. Rather, consider it a dance between some manual work, re-test/evaluate, work again, and repeat. Each time, trying to manage that which has been measured.