COMLEX-USA Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which osteopathic technique uses a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust to restore motion at a restricted joint?
- Muscle energy
- HVLA thrust (Correct answer)
- Counterstrain
- Myofascial release
Correct answer: HVLA thrust
HVLA (high-velocity, low-amplitude) thrust techniques use a rapid, precisely directed force to restore joint mobility.
Question 2: In counterstrain technique, the physician holds the patient in a position of comfort for how long?
- 30 seconds
- 60 seconds
- 90 seconds (Correct answer)
- 120 seconds
Correct answer: 90 seconds
Counterstrain requires maintaining the position of comfort for 90 seconds to allow the tender point to resolve.
Question 3: Which muscle energy technique principle involves the patient contracting against the physician's unyielding resistance to mobilize a restricted segment?
- Post-isometric relaxation (Correct answer)
- Reciprocal inhibition
- Joint mobilization
- Articulatory technique
Correct answer: Post-isometric relaxation
Post-isometric relaxation (PIR) uses the reflex relaxation that follows an isometric contraction to gain increased range of motion.
Question 4: A patient presents with cervical somatic dysfunction. On exam, C4 is found to be ERS right. This means C4 is:
- Extended, rotated left, side-bent left
- Extended, rotated right, side-bent right (Correct answer)
- Flexed, rotated right, side-bent right
- Flexed, rotated left, side-bent left
Correct answer: Extended, rotated right, side-bent right
ERS right means the segment is Extended, Rotated right, and Side-bent right — the group behaves as a unit in extension.
Question 5: The Chapman reflex point for the heart is located anteriorly between which ribs?
- 1st and 2nd ribs on the left
- 2nd and 3rd ribs on the left (Correct answer)
- 3rd and 4th ribs on the left
- 4th and 5th ribs on the left
Correct answer: 2nd and 3rd ribs on the left
The anterior Chapman point for the heart is found between the 2nd and 3rd ribs on the left side of the sternum.
Question 6: Which cranial suture is most commonly assessed during a cranial osteopathic exam for primary respiratory mechanism (PRM)?
- Sagittal suture
- Coronal suture
- Sphenobasilar synchondrosis (SBS) (Correct answer)
- Lambdoid suture
Correct answer: Sphenobasilar synchondrosis (SBS)
The sphenobasilar synchondrosis is the key articulation assessed in cranial OMT as it reflects overall cranial rhythmic impulse motion.
COMLEX-USA Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine 1
Which osteopathic technique uses a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust to restore motion at a restricted joint?