Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Physiological Effects of Massage 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the effect of massage on lymphocyte count, particularly natural killer (NK) cells, as supported by research?
- Massage significantly decreases NK cell activity
- Massage increases NK cell number and cytotoxicity, enhancing immune surveillance (Correct answer)
- Massage has no measurable effect on lymphocyte populations
- Massage suppresses all lymphocyte activity equally
Correct answer: Massage increases NK cell number and cytotoxicity, enhancing immune surveillance
Studies, including those on breast cancer patients, show massage increases natural killer cell number and activity, suggesting a direct positive effect on cellular immunity.
Question 2: When tapotement is applied to the thoracic region, what is the primary clinical effect on the respiratory system?
- It directly increases oxygen saturation in the alveoli
- It mechanically loosens and helps mobilize bronchial secretions (Correct answer)
- It closes the bronchioles to reduce coughing
- It stimulates diaphragmatic nerve fibers to increase respiratory rate
Correct answer: It mechanically loosens and helps mobilize bronchial secretions
Tapotement (percussion) over the chest creates mechanical vibration that loosens and mobilizes mucus and secretions in the airways, aiding expectoration and used in respiratory therapy.
Question 3: What is the physiological basis for the referred sensation experienced when a trigger point is compressed?
- Motor nerve axon sprouting into adjacent dermatomes
- Central sensitization and convergence of afferent neurons at the dorsal horn (Correct answer)
- Direct pressure on a peripheral nerve branch
- Contraction of satellite cells in adjacent muscle fibers
Correct answer: Central sensitization and convergence of afferent neurons at the dorsal horn
Trigger point referral occurs because pain signals from a sensitized area converge with afferents from distant regions at the same dorsal horn level, causing the brain to mislocate the pain source.
Question 4: How does massage affect the production of substance P in chronic pain conditions?
- Massage increases substance P to heighten pain awareness
- Massage reduces substance P levels, contributing to decreased pain perception (Correct answer)
- Massage converts substance P into endorphins
- Massage blocks substance P receptors permanently
Correct answer: Massage reduces substance P levels, contributing to decreased pain perception
Research indicates that massage can reduce the levels of substance P, a nociceptive neurotransmitter involved in pain transmission, thereby decreasing pain sensitivity.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes the effect of massage on arterial blood pressure in hypertensive clients?
- Massage has no proven effect on arterial blood pressure
- Massage consistently raises systolic pressure during treatment
- Massage produces a temporary but clinically meaningful reduction in both systolic and diastolic pressure (Correct answer)
- Massage permanently normalizes blood pressure after one session
Correct answer: Massage produces a temporary but clinically meaningful reduction in both systolic and diastolic pressure
Evidence shows that massage produces a temporary reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure through parasympathetic activation and reduced vascular resistance, though effects are not permanent.
Question 6: What is the role of endorphins in the physiological response to massage therapy?
- Endorphins are released by mast cells to cause local vasodilation
- Endorphins are endogenous opioid peptides released by the brain that reduce pain and produce euphoria (Correct answer)
- Endorphins signal muscles to contract during deep tissue massage
- Endorphins suppress serotonin release during massage
Correct answer: Endorphins are endogenous opioid peptides released by the brain that reduce pain and produce euphoria
Massage stimulates the release of endorphins from the pituitary gland and hypothalamus; these endogenous opioids bind to the same receptors as morphine, reducing pain and creating a sense of well-being.
Question 7: A therapist applies deep, slow strokes to a chronically hypertonic hamstring. Which mechanoreceptor is most responsible for the resulting reduction in muscle tone?
- Ruffini endings
- Golgi tendon organs (Correct answer)
- Merkel's discs
- Pacinian corpuscles
Correct answer: Golgi tendon organs
Golgi tendon organs, located at the musculotendinous junction, respond to sustained tension by triggering autogenic inhibition (inverse myotatic reflex), causing the treated muscle to relax.
