Applied Kinesiology

An unresolved cardiac issue put Doc Healy in the hands of an Applied Kinesiologist; an alternative treatment that evaluates muscular neurological function to detect structural, chemical or emotional deficiencies that inhibit normal function and lead to ailment and disease.

Thank you for your interest in the Applied Kinesiology practice here at KC Chiropractic and Wellness. While our origins lie squarely within traditional chiropractic care, it is our utilization of Applied Kinesiology as a diagnostic and therapeutic technique that sets us apart and truly enables us to help our patients realize a higher level of health. Doc Healy first discovered Applied Kinesiology at an early age when traditional treatments for a compromised cardiac artery failed to stave off numerous cardiac infarctions. AK, as we sometimes call it, was used to diagnose and treat the underlying issues and Doc Healy was able to return to a normal life.

What is Applied Kinesiology? Applied Kinesiology is a technique used to diagnose and treat health problems by identifying muscle weakness and the compromised neurological systems which create those weaknesses. Developed in the 1960s by Detroit chiropractor George Goodheart, it is based on the notion that muscle function maladies can occur as a consequence of a variety of internal triggers. Obvious triggers include injury, nerve entrapment, skeletal misalignment or brain and nerve damage. 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.

How does AK work?  All human health problems stem from one of three areas:  structural issues, chemical issues, and/or emotional issues. This triad of causality is fundamental to both chiropractic therapy as well as Applied Kinesiology. In his book, The Science, Art, and Philosophy of Chiropractic, founder of chiropractic therapy D.D. Palmer states, “The determining causes of disease are traumatism, poison and autosuggestion.” This triad of causes is at the heart of Applied Kinesiology, which enables the doctor to evaluate the triad’s functional balance and direct therapy toward the imbalanced side (or sides).

In its diagnostic phase, a practitioner of Applied Kinesiology will evaluate the relative strength of muscles to gain insight into the underlying cause of a patient’s health problem. Using skills developed and approved by the International College of Applied Kinesiology Board of Standards and honed through practice and intuition, the practitioner will gauge the change in muscle strength or weakness triggered by a variety of stimuli related to structural, chemical or emotional catalysts. This exam will usually combine muscle testing with a thorough history, physical examination, and appropriate laboratory testing.

Once a diagnosis is reached, a plan of treatment is developed, which may include a variety of alternative, as well as conventional remedies–from chiropractic to basic dietary changes. Over the course of treatment, the patient will undergo periodic muscle re-testing as a measurement tool to verify overall improvement. Treatments may involve specific joint manipulation or mobilization, various myofascial therapies, cranial techniques, meridian and acupuncture skills, clinical nutrition, dietary management, counseling skills, evaluating environmental irritants and various reflex procedures.

What should one expect on a visit to a practitioner of applied kinesiology?  A visit begins with a detailed medical history. Next, testing begins with procedures that usually include determining changes in blood pressure from lying to sitting to standing which, according to ICAK, can indicate imbalances in the body. Specific examinations follow, such as tests of skin sensitivity, reflexes and balance.

Practitioners may also observe a patient's posture, gait and range of motion. After these tests are completed, muscle strength is tested against pressure exerted by the practitioner. If the muscle stands up to pressure, it's deemed "strong" or "locked"; those that give way to pressure are considered "weak" or "unlocked," and are deemed indicative of a problem. ICAK considers the use of the muscle strength testing alone an abuse of AK, typically by practitioners who have not been properly trained and certified. The organization holds that muscle testing should be done only as part of a complete diagnostic examination. In addition to muscle testing, AK practitioners may also press on "trigger points" to see if they lead to muscle weakness.

When AK is used to determine whether a particular food or other substance weakens (or strengthens) a patient, the food may placed under the tongue or held in the hand as a muscle is tested.  Some practitioners may also assess emotional well-being by testing muscle strength while the patient imagines being in a troubling or tense situation or with a problematic person.

Applied Kinesiology is not designed for crisis medicine. For example, an AK practitioner cannot cure cancer, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease or infections. However, AK can help with the symptoms of many of these ailments as well as enabling patients to be in a state of wellness where these conditions can be avoided or forestalled.


        
1 (203) 245-9317
17 Woodland Road, Madison, CT, 06443, United States
Switch to desktop site
sc