Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Physiological Effects of Massage 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the physiological explanation for the erythema (redness) that appears on skin during and after massage?
- Rupture of superficial capillaries causing microbleeding
- Histamine-mediated vasodilation of superficial dermal capillaries (Correct answer)
- Increased melanin production in melanocytes
- Lymphatic congestion in the dermis
Correct answer: Histamine-mediated vasodilation of superficial dermal capillaries
Mechanical stimulation causes local mast cells to release histamine, which dilates superficial capillaries and increases blood flow to the skin, producing the characteristic redness (hyperemia).
Question 2: Which physiological change best explains improved joint range of motion following regular massage therapy?
- Elongation of joint cartilage surfaces
- Decreased viscosity of synovial fluid and reduced periarticular soft tissue tension (Correct answer)
- Fusion of accessory joint facets
- Increased bone density at joint margins
Correct answer: Decreased viscosity of synovial fluid and reduced periarticular soft tissue tension
Massage warms and mobilizes synovial fluid (reducing its viscosity) and reduces tension in muscles, tendons, and fascia surrounding the joint, collectively improving range of motion.
Question 3: How does massage affect muscle fiber recruitment threshold in athletes?
- It raises the recruitment threshold, making muscles harder to fatigue
- It lowers the recruitment threshold, leading to overtraining
- It normalizes resting tone, allowing more efficient recruitment when needed (Correct answer)
- It eliminates fast-twitch fiber contribution to movement
Correct answer: It normalizes resting tone, allowing more efficient recruitment when needed
By reducing chronic hypertonia and normalizing resting muscle tone, massage allows motor units to be recruited more efficiently during activity without the handicap of pre-existing tension.
Question 4: What is the term for the increase in blood flow to a region immediately following the release of sustained compression during massage?
- Active hyperemia
- Reactive hyperemia (Correct answer)
- Passive congestion
- Vasovagal reflex
Correct answer: Reactive hyperemia
Reactive hyperemia is the sudden increase in blood flow following removal of occlusive pressure, as accumulation of local vasodilatory metabolites causes rapid dilation of previously compressed vessels.
Question 5: In the context of massage physiology, what is fascial unwinding designed to achieve?
- Stimulate rapid motor neuron firing in adjacent muscles
- Release strain patterns within fascia through slow sustained positional holds that allow piezoelectric remodeling (Correct answer)
- Increase intrafascial calcium concentration
- Compress lymph nodes to enhance drainage
Correct answer: Release strain patterns within fascia through slow sustained positional holds that allow piezoelectric remodeling
Fascial unwinding uses slow, sustained holds that allow piezoelectric responses and mechanoreceptor signaling to reduce tension patterns within the fascial network, restoring its gliding capacity.
Question 6: Which of the following physiological effects of massage supports its use in the management of fibromyalgia?
- Increased sympathetic tone reduces widespread sensitivity
- Elevated serotonin levels improve pain modulation and sleep quality (Correct answer)
- Increased substance P amplifies pain awareness to retrain the nervous system
- Reduced lymphatic flow decreases systemic inflammation
Correct answer: Elevated serotonin levels improve pain modulation and sleep quality
In fibromyalgia, massage elevates serotonin (which modulates pain at the dorsal horn) and improves sleep quality, both of which are impaired in the condition and central to symptom management.
Question 7: What physiological mechanism explains why massage applied to the abdomen can stimulate peristalsis?
- Direct compression of the intestinal villi increases nutrient absorption
- Mechanical stimulation activates the enteric nervous system and parasympathetic reflexes that promote bowel motility (Correct answer)
- Massage heats intestinal contents, accelerating enzymatic digestion
- Compression of the colon increases sympathetic tone to the gut
Correct answer: Mechanical stimulation activates the enteric nervous system and parasympathetic reflexes that promote bowel motility
Abdominal massage mechanically stimulates enteric nervous system receptors and promotes parasympathetic activity, both of which increase smooth muscle contraction (peristalsis) in the large intestine.
Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Physiological Effects of Massage 5
What is the physiological explanation for the erythema (redness) that appears on skin during and after massage?