Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Client Assessment and Planning 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client presents with unilateral facial drooping, slurred speech, and sudden confusion during the session. What should the therapist do FIRST?
- Help the client lie down and continue the session
- Call 911 immediately as these are signs of a stroke (Correct answer)
- Apply cold compress to the face and monitor
- Refer the client to their primary care doctor for follow-up
Correct answer: Call 911 immediately as these are signs of a stroke
Sudden facial drooping, slurred speech, and confusion are classic signs of stroke (FAST: Face, Arms, Speech, Time), requiring immediate emergency services.
Question 2: Which assessment method involves the therapist applying pressure to a muscle while the client resists, used to identify pain or weakness?
- Passive range of motion
- Postural analysis
- Manual muscle testing (resistive testing) (Correct answer)
- Gait analysis
Correct answer: Manual muscle testing (resistive testing)
Manual muscle testing involves resisted movement to assess muscle strength, pain with contraction, and potential injury to contractile tissues.
Question 3: A client reports that their headaches are worse when they wake up in the morning and improve as the day goes on. This pattern most likely suggests:
- Tension headaches from daily stress
- Possible increased intracranial pressure, requiring physician referral (Correct answer)
- Dehydration that resolves after drinking water
- Sinus congestion related to allergies
Correct answer: Possible increased intracranial pressure, requiring physician referral
Morning headaches that improve throughout the day can signal increased intracranial pressure, which is a red flag requiring physician evaluation.
Question 4: Which of the following elements is ESSENTIAL to include in a written treatment plan?
- The therapist's personal scheduling preferences
- Client goals, areas to be addressed, frequency, and techniques to be used (Correct answer)
- The cost of each planned session
- Documentation of the therapist's continuing education
Correct answer: Client goals, areas to be addressed, frequency, and techniques to be used
A treatment plan must document client goals, targeted areas, planned techniques, and session frequency to guide consistent, goal-oriented care.
Question 5: A client has a fever of 102°F but insists on receiving massage to help them feel better. What should the therapist do?
- Proceed with a gentle relaxation massage to ease discomfort
- Refuse the session as fever is a systemic contraindication (Correct answer)
- Massage only the back and avoid the torso
- Reduce session time to 30 minutes
Correct answer: Refuse the session as fever is a systemic contraindication
Fever indicates active systemic infection or inflammation, making massage a systemic contraindication because it can spread pathogens and increase physiological stress.
Question 6: When documenting a session using SOAP notes, the therapist writes: 'Applied moderate pressure effleurage and petrissage to bilateral upper trapezius for 20 minutes.' Where does this belong?
- Subjective
- Objective
- Assessment
- Plan (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Plan
Documentation of techniques applied, pressure used, and areas treated belongs in the Plan section of a SOAP note.
Question 7: A client with a recent (2-week-old) ankle sprain asks for massage. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
- Avoid the area entirely and reschedule when fully healed
- Work proximal to the injury to aid circulation and avoid the acute site (Correct answer)
- Apply deep friction directly to the sprain to break up adhesions
- Use vigorous petrissage on the ankle to restore mobility
Correct answer: Work proximal to the injury to aid circulation and avoid the acute site
Working proximal to an acute injury site promotes lymphatic and venous drainage while avoiding direct pressure on the inflamed tissue.
Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Client Assessment and Planning 5
A client presents with unilateral facial drooping, slurred speech, and sudden confusion during the session.
What should the therapist do FIRST?