Massage and Passive Movements

Question 1

What are passive movements?

Answer 1

Movements carried out by bringing a limb segment through its normal anatomical range whilst the muscles are inactive or voluntarily relaxed. This is done through the aid of a physiotherapist

Question 2

When are passive movements used?

Answer 2

When active movement is impossible or difficult, such as in a patient who had a stroke or is heavily sedated

Question 3

What are contraindications to passive movement?

Answer 3

Recent fractures
Severely damaged soft tissue
Compromised circulation

Question 4

What are precautions to passive movement?

Answer 4

Skin damage such as burns
Movements should be pain free
Care around intra-venous infusion sites

Question 5

Why is the starting position during a passive movement important?

Answer 5

To promote relaxation and sometimes voluntary relaxation

Question 6

What are the uses of relaxed passive movements?

Answer 6

Assessment of a joint
Increase / maintain joint range
Maintain muscle, tendon and ligament extensibility
Provide proprioceptive stimulation
Prevent soft tissue shortening
Increase venous and lymphatic flow

Question 7

What are the principles of relaxed passive movements?

Answer 7

Fixation
Support
Range
Speed and duration
Sequence
Traction
Compression

Question 8

Explain the importance of fixation during relaxed passive movements:

Answer 8

The limb segment must be stabilised to prevent compensatory movement of adjacent joints

Question 9

Explain the importance of range during relaxed passive movements:

Answer 9

As large ROM as possible without causing pain and within a normal range, limiting factors should be considered

Question 10

Explain the importance of support during relaxed passive movements:

Answer 10

Should be maximal to minimise the muscle activity, usually given by the therapist’s hands

Question 11

What are the contraindications to massage?

Answer 11

Skin infections
Open wounds
Circulatory problems
Recent injury
Tumours
Acute inflammation
Myositis ossificans (bone in the muscle)
Diabetes
Alteration of skin sensation

Question 12

What are the three main components of basic massage?

Answer 12

Stroking manipulations (stroking, thousand hands and effleurage)
Pressure manipulations (kneading, picking-up, wringing and rolling)
Percussive manipulations (hacking and clapping)

Question 13

What are the different types of stroking manipulations in massage?

Answer 13

Stroking
Thousand hands
Effleurage

Question 14

What is stroking?

Answer 14

A stroking movement from distal to proximal direction using the whole hand

Question 15

What is the thousand hands?

Answer 15

A stroking movement where one hand performs a short stroke and the second hand performs the same movement overlapping the first

Question 16

What is kneading?

Answer 16

A circular movement using the whole hand or palm one at a time and when the first hand finishes the next moves and the original hand moves to the next circle

Question 17

What is picking up?

Answer 17

Soft tissue is lifted, squeezed and released by the hand in a C-shape

Question 18

What is effleurage?

Answer 18

A deeper form of stroking in the direction of lymph glands

Question 19

What is wringing?

Answer 19

Both hands placed down, one pulls towards and one away creating a ‘wringing’ effect

Question 20

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Answer 20

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Question 21

What is hacking?

Answer 21

Area is hit with the medial border of the hands with a consistent rhythm and depth

Question 22

What is clapping?

Answer 22

Hands are loosely cupped and strike the area with the palmar aspect of the hand by alternate flexing and extending of the wrist