Client Assessment and Planning Flashcards
7 cards from real Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Client Assessment and Planning flashcards as text
A client presents with unilateral facial drooping, slurred speech, and sudden confusion during the session. What should the therapist do FIRST?
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.
Which assessment method involves the therapist applying pressure to a muscle while the client resists, used to identify pain or weakness?
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.
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:
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.
Which of the following elements is ESSENTIAL to include in a written treatment plan?
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.
A client has a fever of 102°F but insists on receiving massage to help them feel better. What should the therapist do?
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.
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?
Answer: Plan
Documentation of techniques applied, pressure used, and areas treated belongs in the Plan section of a SOAP note.
A client with a recent (2-week-old) ankle sprain asks for massage. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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.