Free Massage Therapist Kinesiology and Biomechanics Questions and Answers

Question 1

A client presents with Upper Crossed Syndrome, characterized by forward head posture and rounded shoulders. A massage therapist aiming to address the muscular imbalances would focus on stretching which pair of tight, facilitated muscles?

Accepted Answer

Pectoralis major and upper trapezius

Answer

Upper Crossed Syndrome involves a pattern of muscle imbalance where specific muscles become tight and others become weak. The tight and overactive (facilitated) muscles include the pectoralis major/minor and the upper trapezius/levator scapulae. Conversely, the deep cervical flexors and the middle/lower trapezius/rhomboids become weak and inhibited. Therefore, a corrective strategy would involve stretching the tight pectoral and upper trapezius muscles.

Question 2

A therapist instructs a client to actively contract their quadriceps while the therapist gently stretches the hamstrings. This technique, which facilitates greater lengthening of the hamstrings, is an application of what physiological principle?

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal inhibition

Answer

Reciprocal inhibition is a neuromuscular reflex where the contraction of an agonist muscle (in this case, the quadriceps) leads to the simultaneous relaxation of its antagonist muscle (the hamstrings). By having the client contract the quadriceps, the hamstrings are neurologically signaled to relax, allowing for a more effective and deeper stretch.

Question 3

During a postural assessment, a massage therapist observes a significant anterior pelvic tilt. This posture is created by a force-couple relationship between which two muscle groups?

Accepted Answer

Hip flexors and lumbar extensors

Answer

An anterior pelvic tilt is produced by a force-couple where muscles on opposite sides of an axis work together to create rotation. In this case, the hip flexors (like the iliopsoas and rectus femoris) pull the front of the pelvis down, while the lumbar extensors (erector spinae) pull the back of the pelvis up. This synergistic action rotates the pelvis forward.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a closed kinetic chain movement for the upper body?

Accepted Answer

Push-up

Answer

In a closed kinetic chain exercise, the distal segment (hand or foot) is fixed and the body moves around it. During a push-up, the hands are fixed on the floor, and the torso moves. In contrast, the other options are open kinetic chain movements, where the distal segment moves freely in space.

Question 5

According to Newton's Second Law of Motion (Law of Acceleration), how does the amount of force a massage therapist applies relate to the client's tissue response?

Accepted Answer

The greater the force applied, the greater the acceleration or change in the tissue's state.

Answer

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass; the greater the mass of the object being accelerated, the greater the amount of force needed to accelerate the object (F=ma). In massage, this means that a greater force applied by the therapist will produce a greater change (acceleration) in the state of the client's soft tissues, such as deforming the tissue or moving fluid.

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Free Massage Therapist Kinesiology and Biomechanics Questions and Answers