APPLIED KINESIOLOGY
Applied kinesiology is a technique
used to diagnose and treat health problems by identifying
weakened muscles.
A.K. was developed in the 1960s by
George Goodheart, a Detroit chiropractor. It is based on the
concept that adverse changes in muscle function can occur as
a consequence of a variety of internal triggers. These may
include such obvious ones as injury, nerve entrapment,
misalignment of the skeleton, or brain damage. According to
AK theory, however, muscle weakness (or its opposite,
excessive muscle spasm) can also be caused by diseased or
dysfunctional internal organs, exposure to toxic substances,
nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities, or emotional
issues.
Using an extensive diagnostic
procedure called manual muscle testing, the AK practitioner
can determine the internal source of muscle weakness and
then plan a program designed to ultimately restore health.
Because manual muscle testing is basically a diagnostic
technique, the practitioner will usually also combine muscle
testing with a thorough history, physical examination, and
appropriate laboratory testing.
Once a diagnosis is reached, the
treatment may include a variety of alternative, as well as
conventional remedies--from chiropractic to basic dietary
changes. During a course of treatment, the patient will
undergo periodic muscle re-testing as a measurement tool to
verify overall improvement.
How Does It Work?
Applied kinesiology does not offer
an overt "cure" to illness. Instead, by suggesting a number
of complementary therapies and disciplines, AK can help the
patient to correct small health problems that might
eventually lead to larger ones. Practitioners of AK believe
that the diagnostic technique of manual muscle testing
reveals sources of chronic symptoms that may have been
overlooked during a more conventional medical evaluation.
Important to an understanding of
applied kinesiology is the concept of "energy medicine"
understood in traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, and
chiropractic. All of these systems believe that imbalances
in the body's vital energy (or qi) are ultimately
responsible for the development of symptoms and potentially
of disease itself. If the body's energy channels (or
meridians) are blocked, the flow of qi can become disrupted,
creating a disharmony that may show up in a muscle that is
located along a particular meridian. Once a practitioner has
used applied kinesiology to determine the source of an
energy imbalance, then acupuncture, homeopathy, or
chiropractic may be used to facilitate the healing process.
What You Can Expect
A certified practitioner of applied
kinesiology must be a licensed health-care professional, so
your first encounter with AK will most likely be in the
offices of a chiropractor who has taken sufficient
postgraduate courses to earn certification. The
practitioner will ask you detailed questions about your
health and lifestyle, and will observe your posture, gait,
and such obvious physical problems as a limp. Conventional
laboratory tests, such as blood tests, may be ordered if
organ dysfunction or infection is suspected. Any muscle
testing done by the practitioner will generally, but not
necessarily, be focused around your particular complaint.
Inherent in the muscle testing, however, is an assessment of
the function of your vital organs as well as your response
to a variety of foods.
The principles of applied
kinesiology can be used as part of a diagnostic approach to
both the prevention and treatment of a wide range of health
problems. AK can help to improve gait, posture, and range of
motion. It can also help restore normal function to the
nervous, endocrine, immune, and digestive systems, and
determine previously unsuspected food or chemical
sensitivities. The goal of applied kinesiology treatment is
to intervene early enough to prevent or delay illness.
Applied kinesiology uses the - triad
of health - chemical, mental and structural factors - to
describe the proper balance of the major health categories.
The triad is represented by an
equilateral triangle with structural health as its base, and
the upright sides representing chemical and mental health.
When a person experiences poor health, it is due to an
imbalance in one or more of these three factors.
 The
triad of health is interactive and all sides must be
evaluated for the underlying cause of a problem. A health
problem on one side of the triad can affect the other sides.
For example, a chemical imbalance may cause mental symptoms.
Applied kinesiology enables the practitioner to evaluate the
triad's balance and direct therapy toward the imbalanced
side or side
The principles of applied
kinesiology can be used as part of a diagnostic approach to
both the prevention and treatment of a wide range of health
problems. AK can help to improve gait, posture, and range of
motion. It can also help restore normal function to the
nervous, endocrine, immune, and digestive systems, and
determine previously unsuspected food or chemical
sensitivities. The goal of applied kinesiology treatment is
to intervene early enough to prevent or delay illness
|
