Rehabilitation Program Design Flashcards
6 cards from real NATA-BOC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Rehabilitation Program Design flashcards as text
An athletic trainer is designing an aquatic rehabilitation program. What is the primary advantage of exercising in water at chest depth?
Answer: Buoyancy reduces weight-bearing to approximately 25-35% of body weight
At chest depth (xiphoid process level), water buoyancy offloads approximately 60-75% of body weight, leaving only 25-35% weight-bearing. This allows earlier rehabilitation of lower extremity injuries with reduced joint stress.
Which type of exercise is most effective for treating chronic Achilles tendinopathy based on current evidence?
Answer: Eccentric heel drops on a decline board (Alfredson protocol)
The Alfredson eccentric heel drop protocol on a decline board is the most evidence-supported exercise for chronic Achilles tendinopathy. The eccentric loading stimulates tendon remodeling and collagen reorganization.
When implementing a plyometric training program as part of rehabilitation, what is a prerequisite before beginning plyometric exercises?
Answer: Ability to squat 1.5 times body weight
A common prerequisite for plyometric training is the ability to squat 1.5 times body weight (or at minimum 1.0x body weight for lower extremity plyometrics). This ensures adequate base strength to handle the high eccentric loads of plyometric exercise.
An athlete recovering from a medial meniscal repair has been told to avoid deep knee flexion beyond 90 degrees for the first 6 weeks. What is the biomechanical rationale for this restriction?
Answer: The posterior horn of the medial meniscus is maximally stressed in deep flexion
The posterior horn of the medial meniscus bears the greatest load during deep knee flexion. Restricting flexion beyond 90 degrees protects the meniscal repair from excessive compressive and shear forces during early healing.
Which proprioceptive exercise progression is most appropriate for an athlete recovering from a chronic ankle instability?
Answer: Bilateral balance on stable surface then single-leg on stable surface then single-leg on unstable surface then sport-specific activities
Proprioceptive rehabilitation follows a systematic progression from bilateral (easier) to unilateral (harder), and from stable surfaces to unstable surfaces. This gradual progression restores the neuromuscular control needed to prevent recurrent ankle sprains.
According to the overload principle, which variable must be systematically increased to continue making strength gains during rehabilitation?
Answer: Training stimulus (load, volume, or intensity)
The overload principle states that to continue making physiological adaptations, the training stimulus must progressively increase. This can be achieved by increasing resistance, repetitions, sets, or decreasing rest periods.