CCAT Rehabilitation Techniques & Modalities 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which parameter of therapeutic ultrasound primarily determines the depth of tissue penetration?
- Intensity (W/cm²)
- Frequency (MHz) (Correct answer)
- Duty cycle
- Treatment duration
Correct answer: Frequency (MHz)
Lower frequencies (1 MHz) penetrate deeper tissues (up to 5 cm), while higher frequencies (3 MHz) target superficial tissues (up to 2 cm).
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of using a moist heat pack before performing manual therapy on a dog?
- To reduce inflammation in acute injuries
- To increase tissue extensibility and reduce muscle guarding (Correct answer)
- To stimulate nerve regeneration
- To decrease local circulation
Correct answer: To increase tissue extensibility and reduce muscle guarding
Moist heat increases tissue temperature, improves collagen extensibility, and reduces muscle guarding, making subsequent manual therapy more effective.
Question 3: During neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), which fiber type is recruited first at low stimulation intensities?
- Type II fast-twitch glycolytic fibers
- Type IIa fast-twitch oxidative fibers
- Type I slow-twitch oxidative fibers (Correct answer)
- Large motor neurons
Correct answer: Type I slow-twitch oxidative fibers
NMES recruits motor units in reverse order compared to voluntary contraction, with Type I slow-twitch fibers recruited at lower intensities.
Question 4: A cat recovering from hindlimb paresis is placed in an underwater treadmill. Which benefit is MOST specific to this modality compared to land-based walking?
- Improved cardiovascular endurance
- Reduced joint loading with maintained gait pattern (Correct answer)
- Increased muscle mass
- Enhanced proprioceptive input from foot pads
Correct answer: Reduced joint loading with maintained gait pattern
Buoyancy in underwater treadmill therapy reduces joint compressive forces by up to 60%, allowing weight-bearing exercise with less pain and joint stress.
Question 5: What is the correct tissue response when laser therapy is applied at photobiomodulation doses?
- Thermal coagulation of proteins
- Increased ATP production and cellular metabolism (Correct answer)
- Irreversible cell membrane disruption
- Suppression of mitochondrial activity
Correct answer: Increased ATP production and cellular metabolism
Photobiomodulation at therapeutic doses stimulates cytochrome c oxidase in mitochondria, increasing ATP production and promoting cellular repair.
Question 6: Which manual therapy technique involves applying a sustained stretch to the myofascial tissue at the point of resistance?
- Joint mobilization
- Myofascial release (Correct answer)
- Trigger point compression
- Passive range of motion
Correct answer: Myofascial release
Myofascial release applies a sustained, gentle stretch into the fascial restriction, waiting for the tissue to release and elongate.
Question 7: When applying transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain relief in a dog, which electrode placement targets the gate control mechanism most directly?
- Over the motor point of the painful muscle
- Over the dorsal horn of the spinal cord
- Over large-diameter sensory nerve fibers in the painful area (Correct answer)
- Over acupuncture points distant from the pain site
Correct answer: Over large-diameter sensory nerve fibers in the painful area
Gate control TENS activates large-diameter Aβ sensory fibers, which inhibit nociceptive transmission in the dorsal horn, reducing pain perception.
CCAT Rehabilitation Techniques & Modalities 2
Which parameter of therapeutic ultrasound primarily determines the depth of tissue penetration?