In touch with …Sarah Gqola
I practise at New Life MediClinic, a multidisciplinary facility, in Savanna Park, KwaZulu Natal on a part-time basis and at St. Mary’s Hospital full time. There, I have the opportunity to practise as a physiotherapist while implementing my therapeutic massage skills, which the institution has recognized. I have been practising therapeutic massage for 5 years and I have been a physiotherapist for 16 years. After receiving my therapeutic massage qualifications, I continued to practise physiotherapy to maintain these additional skills and enhance my therapeutic massage practice.
My areas of interest are sports injury, post-operative rehabilitation palliative care, and care of the disabled. Since obtaining certification in early childhood intervention, I have committed myself primarily to people with chronic pair and children with cerebral palsy.
I chose to become a therapeutic massage therapist because it encompasses both manual massage skills and aspects of physiotherapy. While physiotherapy alone primarily utilises electrical modalities, a therapeutic massage treatment focuses on manually removing the cause of pain. My background in health care started in 1988, when I became a nurse. After working as a nurse for two years, I became a trainee physiotherapist and worked in this capacity for eight years. In 1999 I qualified as a physiotherapy auxiliary after several years of studies. A fiend encouraged me to pursue further education and introduced me to therapeutic massage training. At that time, therapeutic massage therapy was not fully recognized by the physiotherapy profession, but knowing the advantages of improved manual skills, I made up my mind to pursue this field. I started my therapeutic massage training in 1998 on a part time basis by attending classes three times per week from 6pm-l0pm and on Saturdays. In 1999, l added physiotherapy studies to this already full schedule by attending classes for two weeks each month from eight to four.
What fascinates me is that during massage, a therapist touches not only the body but also the mind and soul of a person. Emotions are released and many patients require not only bodywork but to have the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems restored. In order to fully reach a state of relaxation, many patients also require that their hormone imbalances be addressed.
My history of lobbying with community groups has allowed me to also do community service on a regular basis. On my leave days, I visit a school for children with disabilities, where I help with rehabilitative and cognitive activities. I also make house calls in different areas and implement my therapeutic massage techniques to address a variety of health problems.
I am inspired by God my Saviour, who has given me this gift that allows me to help each and every patient who has been touched by my hands. God works though my hands, and frequently patients will ask if there is an artificial hand that I am using because it feels like big hands rubbing them. One day, I was treating a recently injured patient. While I was in the middle of the massage treatment, the patient asked me to stop and show him the artificial device that I was using. When I showed him my hands he was in doubt and stared at my hands, which are rather small. He asked me where I get such strength from. I told him that my Saviour is always with me and during each and every treatment, I invite God to work though me.
My greatest strength is my obedience.
My greatest weakness is my struggle to ensure that I serve my community in the ways that I am expected to do so,
My personal philosophy is firstly, that we sow what we reap, so be careful of what it is that we sprout. I do not take my abilities for granted and I give the glory to God. I know that there is a greater purpose for doing what I do and I trust the daily guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is the one with the healing hands, not me. I am only the vessel.
My personal goal is to know more so that I can do better.
Ten years from now I see myself holding a position of as a clinical tutor in a training institution of therapeutic massage in my region of KZN.
My vision for therapeutic massage in is to see an increase in the training standards and that therapeutic massage be recognized by those who do not want to admit that therapeutic massage will continue to stand as a registered and highly competent profession.