FREE NCBTMB Bodywork Application and Physiology Questions and Answers

Question 1

A client is experiencing a muscle cramp in their gastrocnemius.
To help alleviate the cramp using the principle of reciprocal inhibition, which action should the therapist instruct the client to perform?

Accepted Answer

Actively dorsiflex the foot against resistance.

Answer

Actively plantarflex the foot against resistance.

Answer

Passively stretch the gastrocnemius by dorsiflexing the foot.

Answer

Apply sustained ischemic compression to the muscle belly.

Question 2

Which of the following physiological responses is primarily associated with the stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system during a massage session?

Accepted Answer

Lowered blood pressure and heart rate.

Answer

Increased heart rate and alertness.

Answer

Decreased digestive activity.

Answer

Increased cortisol production.

Question 3

A massage therapist applies slow, sustained, deep pressure to a client's fascia, noticing that the tissue gradually feels more pliable and less dense under their hands. This phenomenon, where connective tissue's ground substance becomes more fluid with the application of mechanical force, is known as:

Accepted Answer

Thixotropy

Answer

Piezoelectricity

Answer

Reciprocal Inhibition

Answer

Stretch Reflex

Question 4

A client reports pain that refers from a hyperirritable spot within a taut band of skeletal muscle to a different, predictable location when compressed. Which physiological entity is being described?

Accepted Answer

Myofascial trigger point

Answer

Golgi tendon organ

Answer

Muscle spindle

Answer

Ruffini corpuscle

Question 5

During a massage, applying deep, sustained pressure at the musculotendinous junction is intended to stimulate which proprioceptor, leading to a reflex relaxation of the associated muscle?

Accepted Answer

Golgi Tendon Organ

Answer

Muscle Spindle

Answer

Pacinian Corpuscle

Answer

Free Nerve Ending

Question 6

The carpometacarpal joint of the thumb is a classic example of which type of synovial joint, allowing for flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and opposition?

Accepted Answer

Saddle

Answer

Hinge

Answer

Ball and Socket

Answer

Pivot

A client is experiencing a muscle cramp in their gastrocnemius.To help alleviate the cramp using the principle of reciprocal inhibition, which action should the therapist instruct the client to perform?

A client is experiencing a muscle cramp in their gastrocnemius.
To help alleviate the cramp using the principle of reciprocal inhibition, which action should the therapist instruct the client to perform?