What Is Applied Kinesiology And How Can It Help With Health And Wellness?

Each and every person is different; we lead different lifestyles, eat different foods and have different health-related histories, which is why sometimes the blanket approach to health care doesn’t always produce the results we would like to see.

For those taking a more holistic viewpoint, the road to optimal health and wellness often lies in assisting the body in maintaining its optimal functioning levels - which is where it is able to achieve its best self-healing. This is where Applied Kinesiology (AK) comes in, as it provides health practitioners with an additional tool that can be used to help uncover various health concerns and seek out appropriate treatments.

What Is Applied Kinesiology?

Health problems can stem from a number of factors, including but not limited to musculoskeletal issues, nutritional deficiencies and underlying emotional stresses. Often, when one area of the body is struggling, other areas will attempt to compensate, causing further imbalances. The Applied Kinesiology technique offers a more holistic approach to treating these issues, focusing on restoring harmony within the body and providing a better chance to heal.

Applied Kinesiology uses the practice of ‘Muscle Testing’ to find underlying imbalances in the muscles which are all connected by the nervous system to various organs and other systems within the body. This method of assessment and testing provides handy visual cues or “answers” to problem areas within the body, which can then be used to determine what course of action is required to return the body to “normal” functioning strength.

Addressing the body as a whole, Applied Kinesiology focuses on restoring harmony in the body’s systems, meaning it can be helpful in a wide range of circumstances and health-related situations – be it physical, nutritional or emotional, see more below.

• Structural Influences. Incorporating all aspects of the musculoskeletal system, including joints, muscles, bones etc. Basically anything influencing the structural framework of the body.

• Chemical Factors. Including things like nutritional deficiencies, toxins, allergens, pathogens (viruses or bacteria) and inflammation.

• Mental/Emotional States. Addressing the mental state of the body which might include stress, grief, sadness, anxiety and depression etc.

Is Applied Kinesiology The Same As Kinesiology?

The short answer is – No. ‘Kinesiology’ is the “study of human movement”, whereas Applied Kinesiology is a tool developed to assess overall health and provide a more holistic and individualised treatment. However, there are aspects of standard Kinesiology woven into the foundations of Applied Kinesiology.

What Is Muscle Testing?

Muscle testing is a physical testing technique used to measure muscle response to a targeted force. In a real-world situation an example might be where a practitioner asks the patient to hold/resist gentle pressure applied to their raised arm while applying slight pressure to specific muscles one at a time. Muscles that “hold strong” against pressure are considered to be functioning optimally, whereas muscles that have trouble resisting pressure are considered “weak” indicating there may be a problem.

Throughout this process, muscle testing works as a simple visual indicator for gaining specific and targeted feedback from a person’s body. It can help practitioners identify what’s needed in order for the patient to feel better and their body to return to its natural balance.

Restoring the muscle/targeted area to its optimum strength might include various forms of treatment such as chiropractic adjustments, nutritional supplements, dietary/lifestyle changes, homeopathy and various other natural or mainstream products or health care procedures.

*It is important to note that the difference between a weak or strong response during the muscle testing process is related to neurological processes (the nervous system’s control over the muscle function), it is not a direct indication of physical muscle strength.

How Does Muscle Testing Work?

The core principle behind muscle testing is that your body is able to ‘communicate’ in non-verbal ways. Muscle testing works as a non-invasive way of tapping into this communication instead of guessing based on the most apparent symptoms.

One of the main benefits of muscle testing and its use within the Applied Kinesiology framework is that it can often help identify imbalances in the body, allowing you to address concerns in earlier stages before further complications take hold. Some common areas that are easily identified as problem areas during testing are the glands, internal organs, lymphatic system, nervous system and muscles, joints and bones.

*Please note muscle testing is not considered a standalone assessment tool, it is designed to be used in conjunction with other diagnostics such as patient histories, physical exams, lab testing, and X-rays.

The Origin Of Applied Kinesiology

The concept of Applied Kinesiology is not new, in fact it was first founded in 1964 by Dr George Goodheart. After unearthing a significant link between muscle function and health and well-being, Dr Goodheart found that weaknesses in the muscle could help identify specific imbalances in various bodily systems.

After later incorporating aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine, energy meridians, clinical nutrition and dietary management there has been continued expansion and modification of the scope of Applied Kinesiology treatments resulting in many and varied forms of muscle testing and Applied Kinesiology practices.

What Practitioners Use Applied Kinesiology?

Applied kinesiology is used around the world by health professionals, including Chiropractors, medical doctors, Osteopaths and Dentists as a complementary healthcare practice. Applied Kinesiology (AK) requires appropriate qualifications/education and training to be able to be used in clinical practice. It has many detailed and important concepts that need to be studied to fully understand and perform.

Applied Kinesiology Certification

Founded in 1976, the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK) is a worldwide organisation developed to promote scientific and clinically based Applied Kinesiology. The ICAK offers official certification for health practitioners, providing opportunities for learning about, developing and extending Applied Kinesiology techniques. Its members include medical doctors of all disciplines, Chiropractors, Osteopaths, dentists and Naturopaths. 

How Can Applied Kinesiology Help You?

Some ways applied kinesiology can be used to help assess and improve your health are:

• Selecting The Right Supplements. Applied Kinesiology can be effective in narrowing down what supplements work best for your body and in what dosage, this is a big help in reducing money wasted on unnecessary supplements.

• Detecting Food Sensitivities. Sometimes health issues can arise from food sensitivities, muscle testing is a great non-invasive way to pinpoint individual foods that may be causing problems.

• Identifying Nutritional Deficiencies. Traditional blood tests aren’t always able to single out the cause of underlying nutritional deficiencies, but muscle testing can sometimes help identify these unseen deficiencies before they become a serious problem.

• Recognising Underlying Imbalances. Muscle testing can be effective in identifying pathogens or foreign irritants including things like the presence of bacteria, viruses, parasites, yeast overgrowth and also heavy metals which can be the underlying cause of symptoms such as fatigue and digestive issues (for example).

• Prioritising Treatment. Applied Kinesiology aids in understanding the connection between symptoms and underlying issues and knowing what to address first for maximum benefit.

What Can Applied Kinesiology Be Used For?

Using the Applied Kinesiology technique, health practitioners can carry out useful non-invasive evaluations of the body just some of the issues that could be identified/investigated are:

• Allergies

• Depression and Anxiety

• Asthma

• Back Pain/Injuries

• Athletic Performance

• Headaches/Migraines

• Leaky Gut/Digestive Issues

• Menstrual problems

• Muscle Rehabilitation

• Sleep Disorders

• Skin Health

• Stress

• Chronic Fatigue

• Hormonal Imbalances

• Detoxifying

• Parasites/Intestinal discomfort

• Joint Pain/Problems

Feeling tired, stressed or lethargic? The Applied Kinesiology approach might be able to help you. Get in touch with Jennifer Reynolds at Infinity Health and Wellness to book your Applied Kinesiology appointment today.