APPLIED KINESIOLOGY
Many people think that Applied Kinesiology (AK) is a treatment, whereas it is actually a diagnostic tool that is used in combination with other standard methods of diagnosis to assess aspects of health.
What is AK? AK is a non-invasive system of evaluating how a person’s body functions using manual muscle testing as a feedback mechanism. Used correctly, it should help to evaluate the best form of treatment or therapy for an individual patient.
Basically, when a muscle does not test as functioning properly, the practitioner will investigate the reason and apply the remedy that restores normal muscle test response to help the patient. I tell my patients it is like we are using the muscle responses to have a conversation with their nervous system, as muscle testing is primarily concerned with neuromuscular function and how it relates to structural, chemical and mental physiology.
Treatments may involve joint mobilisation, myofascial techniques, cranial techniques, acupuncture meridian therapy, clinical nutrition, dietary management and various reflex procedures. After treatment, it is possible to retest to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment on the individual.
Origins of AK: Doctor George Goodheart, a USA chiropractor first introduced manual muscle testing to evaluate body function in 1964. Knowledge and research into AK has grown considerably since then, expanding its dimensions as a diagnostic tool of bodily dysfunction, modifying and evolving techniques and introducing new ones. Even in the early days of AK, it was apparent how the use of many treatment methods in Osteopathy, Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Homeopathy produced improved neuromuscular function, which could be directly measured using AK.
Triad of Health: In AK, balance of the major health areas is represented by each side of an equilateral triangle representing structural, chemical and mental factors of health. A person with ill health will have an imbalance in one or more aspects, distorting the triad. Each aspect can affect the other, e.g. a chemical imbalance can affect organs such as the gut or liver and affect also mental and physical health. AK helps the practitioner to evaluate the triad’s balance and apply the therapy towards creating a balance on all sides to restore health.
What can be Treated? The basic structural issues that may take you to a healthcare practitioner, e.g. back, neck and joint pain, sciatica, headaches and migraine, postural abnormalities, disc injuries, nerve irritation, acute onset and minor sports injuries. Additionally, other functional and systemic disorders may be addressed, including hormone related issues, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep pattern and stress related disorders.
What to Expect in an AK Treatment? When visiting an AK practitioner, expect to be involved. The practitioner will first take a detailed medical history and perform the standard diagnostic tests, followed by a variety of muscle tests to assess areas of dysfunction. They will test for basic mechanical defects, the possible connection of visceral (gland or organ) dysfunction, stress levels in the body and where indicated cranial and pelvic distortion and toxicity/allergy problems. The practitioner and patient work together during manual muscle testing, giving the patient the opportunity to be actively involved in their treatment process. This helps the patient to have greater understanding of their treatment process and thus adopt a greater sense of responsibility towards their health; they can also experience the feedback via the muscle testing.
AK uses the principal that the body is a self-maintaining, self-correcting mechanism and its innate wisdom knows what is wrong; the practitioner needs to ‘ask’ the right questions to discover the nature of the imbalance and watch the body’s response when it says ’yes please’. Treatment may involve a combination of structural work, guidance in self- treatment, nutritional support, remedies and treatment to aid stress related problems.
We are happy to advise you on your health matters and offer a free 15 minute joint and spinal check, without obligation.
Lin Bridgeford DO KFRP MICAK MICRA FSCCO MSc
Registered Osteopath & Kinesiologist & Senior Yoga Teacher
Master Hypnosis and NLP Practitioner
Aether Bios Clinic
Saltdean
01273 309557
07710 227038
