Applied Kinesiology
What is Applied Kinesiology?
Applied Kinesiology (AK) is a system that evaluates structural, chemical, and mental aspects of health using manual muscle testing alongside conventional diagnostic methods. Treatment modalities relied upon by practitioners may include chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue work, physiotherapy, cranial and meridian therapies, body supports (i.e. orthotics or lower back belts), home exercise, clinical nutrition, and dietary counseling.
In the 1960s Dr. George Goodheart found that he could evaluate body function by the use of muscle tests. A manual muscle test in AK is conducted by having the patient resist using the target muscle or muscle group while the practitioner applies a force. During the examination some muscles will test "strong" and others will test "weak". This is not a raw test of strength, but rather an evaluation of tension in the muscle and smoothness of response, indicative of stresses and imbalances in the body. A weak muscle test is equated to structural imbalance, chemical dysfunction, or mental stress - indicative of a body dissatisfied with suboptimal functioning. People evaluated with this method are often amazed that something so simple can work so well.
Muscles not only move bones, they hold the skeletal system in place. There is a dynamic tension in the musculoskeletal system. The muscles act like guy wires holding the bones in place. Skeletal balance is maintained by opposing muscles. If a muscle is weaker than the one opposing it, the opposing muscle becomes tight, and the skeletal structures will be out of balance. A weak muscle can cause pain and spasm in the opposing muscle. Ironically, many therapeutic efforts are directed toward spastic muscles, which often are not the cause of the problem. For example, weak abdominal muscles will cause the pelvic to tilt and the low back muscles (which oppose them) to go into spasm. Until the weakness in the abdominal muscles is corrected, efforts to reduce the spasm in the low back will not be very effective.
Thus, muscle imbalances can cause structural strain. They can result in misalignments of the spine, muscle spasm, joint and muscle pain, poor sports performance, a tendency for injury, or even systemic health problems. Structural stress may then go on to affect the nervous system, which can affect every organ and system in the body.
The doctor trained in applied kinesiology corrects muscle weakness and muscle imbalance by working with the nervous system, the lymphatic system, the vascular system, acupuncture meridians and nutrition. This is a holistic approach designed to get to the cause of health problems.
