Kinesiology

Origins and historical development :

From the Greek word ‘kinesis’, kinesiology uses muscle testing to diagnose the presence of imbalances within the body’s systems, such as digestion and circulation. The underlying principle is that a body has an aligned skeletal and muscular frame, connected and functioning in harmony. If there is a problem, be it physical, chemical or mental, the body will be affected and the tests used in kinesiology uncover the cause. Although this concept appears to be easy to understand, kinesiology applies the same invisible meridian path ways between pressure points as acupuncture does; which means pain or weakness in one muscle, can indicate a problem somewhere else.

In the early 1900’s Dr Chapman, an osteopath, noticed that when massaging certain muscles that were connected by pressure points, lymph flow around the body could be increased. His initial work to identify which pressure points are connected to which muscles was furthered in the 1930’s by another osteopath by the name of Terence Bennett. Bennett claimed there were similar pressure points on the skull and when pressure was applied to these, the flow of blood to the related organs would improve. However, it was the American chiropractor Dr George Goodheart who actually developed kinesiology from these earlier findings. In 1964, while treating a patient for a dislocated shoulder, he noticed that pressure on certain points around the rib cage strengthened the shoulder muscle. He went on to discover that muscles can be strengthened by massaging parts of the body that appear to be unrelated; and that light finger tip pressure on 16 points around the skull, knee and breastbone could improve the strength of important muscle groups.

Using the Chinese meridian map of the body, Dr Goodheart concluded the meridians could be applied to both muscles and organs; and devised a theory of energy circuits. When an imbalance is present, such as injury, illness or toxin, particular energy pathways will be affected and a corresponding muscle’s energy circuit will turn off. With muscles being in a constant state of compensatory contraction and relaxation with each other, if 1 muscle is weak, the corresponding opposing muscle will become strained from the lack of a fully functioning partner. Therefore, instead of focussing where a patient feels pain, a practitioner will look for the hidden weakness of the related muscle.

Since the 1970’s, kinesiology has attracted interest from practitioners of other complementary therapies, particularly osteopaths and chiropractors; and kinesiology is often used as a diagnostic technique in conjunction with other treatments. Dr Goodheart himself developed his own practice to incorporate acupuncture, cranial osteopathy, homeopathy and nutritional advice. In 1974 John Thie, a colleague of Dr Goodheart, founded the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK) which now has centres around the world.

What to expect during a treatment :

After discussing medical history and current complaints, the principles of a kinesiology session involve the patient being tested for muscle strength, using a major muscle that is able to withstand up to 5 seconds of ordinary pressure. Often lying down, remaining fully clothed, a patient will be asked to push a raised knee or leg against the pressure applied by the practitioner. Depending on what is being tested, the practitioner will then tap certain points on the body, or place different substances on the body, in between applying the pressure on the knee or leg. This will establish if an energy pathway is being affected, triggering the test muscle to turn off and rendering the patient unable to push against the pressure from the practitioner.

Sessions usually last between 30 – 60 minutes and the number of sessions is dependent on the condition. Treatment may involve manipulation or homeopathy, after which the tests will need to be repeated for signs of improvement. Generally, the body is believed to know when it is sick and that patients consult a kinesiologist when the need arises; although typically, a patient will see their practitioner once every 6 months.

Conditions suitable for treatment :

Excellent as a diagnostic tool for almost any condition, kinesiology is an efficient way of checking the body is in balance generally. However, it is particularly useful for identifying food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities; exposure to chemical toxins; viruses; bacterial infections; parasites; and skeletal or muscular strain.