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

Reciprocal inhibition is a neuromuscular reflex where the contraction of an agonist muscle causes the antagonist muscle to relax. In this case, the gastrocnemius (agonist) is cramping. To inhibit it, the client should actively contract the antagonist muscle, which is the tibialis anterior. The primary action of the tibialis anterior is dorsiflexion. Therefore, having the client actively dorsiflex their foot will help relax and release the cramp in the gastrocnemius.

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

Massage therapy helps shift the autonomic nervous system from a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) state to a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state. The parasympathetic response is characterized by a decrease in heart rate, lowered blood pressure, and increased digestive activity, promoting overall relaxation and recovery.

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

Thixotropy is the property of some gels and fluids to become less viscous or more fluid when agitated or stressed, and to return to a more solid state when left undisturbed. In bodywork, this concept is applied to the ground substance of fascia, which is believed to transition from a more viscous 'gel' state to a more fluid 'sol' state in response to the mechanical energy (pressure and warmth) of massage, leading to a palpable 'release' or softening of the tissue.

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

A myofascial trigger point is defined as a hyperirritable spot within a taut band of skeletal muscle. A key characteristic of a trigger point is that direct compression elicits not only local tenderness but also characteristic referred pain, motor dysfunction, and sometimes autonomic phenomena.

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

The Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) is a proprioceptor located at the junction where muscle fibers connect to tendon fibers. It is sensitive to changes in muscle tension. When a muscle contracts with significant force, or when deep pressure is applied, the GTO is stimulated and sends a signal that inhibits the muscle's contraction, causing it to relax. This is a protective mechanism known as autogenic inhibition.

NCBTMB Exam Practice Test

NCBTMB Exam Practice Test

FREE NCBTMB Bodywork Application and Physiology Questions and Answers