CCEP Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Exercises 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which muscle group is the PRIMARY target when prescribing hip abductor strengthening to address a Trendelenburg gait pattern?
- Iliopsoas and rectus femoris
- Gluteus medius and minimus (Correct answer)
- Adductor longus and brevis
- Piriformis and obturator internus
Correct answer: Gluteus medius and minimus
Trendelenburg gait results from weakness of the stance-phase hip abductors, primarily the gluteus medius and minimus, which control pelvic drop.
Question 2: A runner presents with iliotibial band syndrome. Which exercise best addresses the most common biomechanical deficit contributing to this condition?
- Seated hip flexor stretch
- Side-lying hip abduction and clamshell exercises (Correct answer)
- Standing calf raises
- Nordic hamstring curls
Correct answer: Side-lying hip abduction and clamshell exercises
ITB syndrome is strongly associated with hip abductor weakness causing excessive hip adduction during running; hip abduction and clamshell exercises directly address this deficit.
Question 3: The 'painful arc' during shoulder rehabilitation refers to which range of abduction where pain typically occurs in subacromial impingement?
- 0-30 degrees
- 60-120 degrees (Correct answer)
- 130-180 degrees
- 180 degrees and above
Correct answer: 60-120 degrees
The painful arc in subacromial impingement typically occurs between 60-120 degrees of shoulder abduction where the supraspinatus tendon is compressed under the acromion.
Question 4: Which therapeutic exercise parameter is MOST important to modify when transitioning a patient from acute to subacute phase rotator cuff rehabilitation?
- Decrease exercise frequency from daily to weekly
- Introduce progressive resistance while maintaining pain-free motion (Correct answer)
- Immediately begin overhead pressing with maximum load
- Eliminate all isometric exercises from the program
Correct answer: Introduce progressive resistance while maintaining pain-free motion
The transition from acute to subacute rehabilitation involves progressively introducing resistance while ensuring exercises remain pain-free to facilitate tendon healing.
Question 5: Aquatic therapy provides therapeutic benefits primarily due to which hydrodynamic property that reduces joint loading?
- Viscosity
- Buoyancy (Correct answer)
- Hydrostatic pressure
- Surface tension
Correct answer: Buoyancy
Buoyancy reduces the effective weight-bearing load on joints by opposing gravity, making aquatic therapy ideal for early-stage rehabilitation when weight-bearing is limited.
Question 6: A patient with carpal tunnel syndrome is prescribed nerve gliding exercises. What is the PRIMARY therapeutic goal of these exercises?
- Strengthen intrinsic hand muscles
- Restore normal neural mobility and reduce adhesions around the median nerve (Correct answer)
- Increase wrist flexion range of motion
- Reduce inflammation through mechanical compression
Correct answer: Restore normal neural mobility and reduce adhesions around the median nerve
Nerve gliding exercises restore the normal excursion of the median nerve through the carpal tunnel, reducing adhesions and improving neural mobility.
Question 7: In shoulder rehabilitation, the 'empty can' position places the supraspinatus in maximum isolation. At what degree of abduction and in which plane is this exercise performed?
- 90° abduction in the frontal plane with internal rotation
- 45° abduction in the sagittal plane with external rotation
- 90° abduction in the scapular plane with internal rotation (Correct answer)
- 60° abduction in the transverse plane with neutral rotation
Correct answer: 90° abduction in the scapular plane with internal rotation
The empty can test and exercise positions the arm at 90° abduction in the scapular plane with internal rotation, maximally isolating supraspinatus function.
CCEP Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Exercises 3
Which muscle group is the PRIMARY target when prescribing hip abductor strengthening to address a Trendelenburg gait pattern?