HLTMSG013 — Perform remedial massage musculoskeletal assessments

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What an assessment for HLTMSG013 must cover

277 assessable components: 4 elements (29 performance criteria), 16 performance evidence and 229 knowledge evidence requirements, plus 3 foundation skills. An audit-defensible tool maps every question and task back to these — that mapping is the coverage matrix Auditori generates alongside the assessment.

Elements & performance criteria

1 Determine scope of client needs.

1.1Clarify client expectations and identify client motivation for wanting to receive remedial treatment.
1.2Provide clear information about scope and limits of services to be provided, in accordance with legal and ethical considerations.
1.3Collect an accurate, relevant and organised health record and document in a form which can be interpreted readily by other professionals.
1.4Recognise needs that are beyond scope of own practice and make referrals to other health care professionals as required.
1.5Identify and respond to any barriers to information gathering and assessment.
1.6Seek client information respectfully and sensitively, using purposeful, systematic and diplomatic questions.
1.7Manage information in a confidential and secure way.

2 Conduct client assessment.

2.1Determine appropriate assessment process.
2.2Provide information about the assessment process and obtain informed client consent to proceed.
2.3Follow clinical and therapist hygiene protocols and work health and safety (WHS) standards.
2.4Respect client dignity and anticipate potential sensitivities.
2.5Seek client feedback on comfort levels throughout assessment process.
2.6Assess client through palpation, observation, range of motion (ROM) testing and client’s reported outcomes.
2.7Observe and note any client concerns about pain or health.
2.8Identify variations of posture or structural function in relation to presenting symptoms.
2.9Analyse variables of presenting condition through use of functional and special testing.
2.10Use ongoing discussions with client to gain subjective information as required for assessment.
2.11Document information from the assessment according to organisational policies and procedures.

3 Develop treatment plan.

3.1Correlate results of assessment with case history.
3.2Consider available medical information and incorporate into analysis within scope of own practice.
3.3Identify condition according to stage and related implications.
3.4Identify and respond to cautions or contraindications for remedial treatments.
3.5Determine optimum techniques to be used for treatments.
3.6Use outcomes of assessment and analysis to determine and discuss treatment plan and expected client outcomes.
3.7Document all proposed treatment plan.

4 Confirm assessment and treatment plan with client.

4.1Discuss assessment, its implications and rationale for treatment with the client.
4.2Assign and agree treatment priorities and expectations in consultation with the client.
4.3Respond to client questions and concerns using language the client understands.
4.4Obtain informed consent for remedial treatment.

Performance evidence

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:
conduct a complete remedial massage client assessment on three different people that involves:
completing each assessment within an acceptable commercial timeframe
whole upper body assessment including shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand
whole lower body assessment including pelvis, hip, knee, ankle and foot
whole spinal assessment including cervical, thoracic and lumbar
using remedial assessment techniques:
discussion
daily movement tasks
muscle strength and length tests
observation including variations of posture
orthopaedic tests
palpation of relevant bony landmarks and muscles
range of motion (ROM) testing including active, passive and resisted
discussing treatment options and rationale with each client
engaging each client in decision making.

Knowledge evidence

Commonwealth and State or Territory legal and ethical considerations for client assessment:
codes of conduct
duty of care
informed consent
mandatory reporting
therapist and client boundaries
privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
records management
work health and safety (WHS)
work role boundaries:
working within scope of practice
presenting symptoms that require referral to a medical practitioner
referral options for therapists:
allied health service and other health modalities
types and availability of further medical testing
factors and barriers that may impact on remedial massage assessment:
physical
psychological
cultural
factors that affect individual health status:
age
gender
lifestyle risk factors
personal and medical history:
comorbidities
sequelae and progression of disease
mental and emotional health
values, attitudes and beliefs
balance of rest, activity and sleep
physical environment
social environment
social determinants of health
client information required for remedial massage assessment and the scope and depth of information needed around:
client expectations:
methods to clarify
managing
client understanding of current symptoms including pain or health condition
client history and its components
client current state of health
signs and symptoms:
onset
duration
location
type and severity
considerations for performing remedial massage assessments:
environment
equipment
client privacy
client instructions
remedial treatment planning techniques and considerations
remedial assessment techniques, how and when they are used:
discussion
daily movement tasks
muscle strength and length tests
observation including variations of posture
orthopaedic tests
palpation of relevant bony landmarks and muscles
ROM tests including active, passive and resisted
cautions and contraindications to treatment and possible indications for client referral:
pregnancy
weak bone and joint instability
neurological dysfunction
vascular disorder
symptoms outside of scope of practice
excessive pain and abnormal responses to treatment
protracted pain
non-reproducible pain
fatigue
circulatory disorder
inflammation
lumps and tissue changes
rashes and changes in the skin
oedema
sudden changes in mood
infection
changes in appetite, elimination and sleep habits
bleeding and bruising
nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
recent changes in body temperature
remedial massage treatment techniques:
compressive techniques
deep pressure massage
friction techniques
lymphatic massage
muscle energy techniques
myofascial techniques without skin penetration
passive movement at joints
stretching techniques
thermotherapy
trigger point techniques without skin penetration
anatomy:
body systems relevant to massage assessment:
muscle physiology
nervous system including myotomes, peripheral nerves and nerve impingements including root and peripheral
integumentary
skeletal
muscle origins, insertions and actions including synergistic groups:
adductor longus
adductor magnus
anconeus
biceps brachii
brachialis
brachioradialis
coracobrachialis
deltoid
digastric
erector spinae
extensor carpi radialis
extensor digitorum longus
extensor hallucis longus
flexor carpi radialus
flexor carpi ulnaris
flexor digitorum longus
flexor hallucis longus
frontalis
gastrocnemius
gemellus superior and inferior
gluteus maximus
gluteus medius
gluteus minimus
gracillis
hamstrings
iliacus
infraspinatus
intercostals
internal and external obliques
latissimus dorsi
levator scapulae
longus colli
masseter
multifidus
obliquus capitis inferior
obliquus capitis superior
obturator internus and externus
palmaris longus
pectineus
pectoralis major
pectoralis minor
peroneals
piriformis
platysma
popliteus
pronator teres
psoas major
pterygoids
quadratus femoris
quadratus lumborum
quadriceps
rectus abdominis
rectus capitis posterior
rhomboids
rotatores
sartorius
scalenes including anterior, medial and posterior
semispinalis
semi-spinalis capitis
serratus anterior
serratus posterior superior
soleus
splenius capitis
splenius cervicis
sternocleidomastoid
subscapularis
supinator
supraspinatus
temporalis
tensor fasciae latae (TFL)
teres major
teres minor
thenar muscle group
tibialis anterior
tibialis posterior
transverse abdominis
trapezius
triceps brachii
skeleton:
bones of the body
surface anatomy and palpable bony landmarks
bone growth and remodelling
joints:
classifications including fibrous, cartilaginous and synovial:
glide
plane
ball and socket
saddle
hinge
condyloid
pivot
actions
detailed anatomy for each major joint:
shoulder
hip
sacroiliac
knee
ankle and foot
wrist
elbow
acromioclavicular
sternoclavicular
costal
spine
atlanto-occipital
temporomandibular
nervous system
physiology:
soft tissue:
muscle physiology including contraction, reflexes, biochemistry and proprioception
tendons and ligaments
fascia
hard tissue:
bone growth and development
abnormal bone growth
conditions commonly seen by remedial therapists:
pain:
muscle and tendon
joint
neural
impact and fall injuries
headache and migraine
osteoarthritis
repetitive strain injuries and overuse syndromes
sport and activity-related conditions
stress, anxiety and other mood-related problems
documentation requirements:
accurate
comprehensive
legible
in English
using industry terminology and standard abbreviations.

Foundation skills

Reading skills to:: comprehend and interpret client records.
Writing skills to:: record client assessment information accurately and comprehensively.
Oral communication skills to:: use listening and questioning to seek information and confirm understanding deliver information to a client in an appropriate manner to ensure comprehension.

Unit content sourced from training.gov.au — © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Auditori is not affiliated with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

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Questions about assessing HLTMSG013

What does an assessment tool for HLTMSG013 need to cover?

To satisfy the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence, an assessment for HLTMSG013 needs to address all 277 unit components: 4 elements with 29 performance criteria, 16 performance evidence requirements, 229 knowledge evidence requirements, and the foundation skills. A coverage matrix mapping each question and task to these components is what an auditor looks for.

How does Auditori generate an assessment tool for HLTMSG013?

Auditori pulls the current release of HLTMSG013 from training.gov.au and generates a complete package: candidate assessment, assessor guide with model answers and observation criteria, and a coverage matrix mapping every component. A suitably qualified person then reviews and approves the draft in a built-in workflow — consistent with ASQA's guidance on AI use in VET — before export as branded PDF and editable Word.

Is the first assessment tool really free?

Yes. Every new account includes one free credit — enough to generate the complete assessment tool for HLTMSG013 — with no card and no subscription required. After that it's pay-as-you-go per unit.

Can I check my existing HLTMSG013 assessment instead of generating a new one?

Yes — upload your existing assessment or learner guide and Auditori maps it against every element, performance criterion, PE and KE of HLTMSG013, showing exactly what's covered and what's missing. Mapping costs a quarter of a credit.

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