What is Applied Kinesiology (AK)?
House of Natural Medicine
The first discoveries in AK were made in the 1960’s by a
doctor from
Dr. Goodheart had observed that muscles can have different
states. In particular, muscles could be inhibited or facilitated, depending
upon the condition of that portion of the nervous system that controlled the
muscle in question.
Because the different states of muscles are so important to
an understanding of AK, we will first examine these states in greater
detail. Then, we will explain how the AK system has expanded over the years, following after the first simple observations of Dr. Goodheart.
Inhibited vs. facilitated
muscle states
Doctors and various therapists have had reason to manually
test muscles for a long time. For example,
in certain neurological disease states, muscle function is dramatically
impaired and testing muscles can give a physician a rough idea as to the degree
of neurological impairment. This testing
is done to ascertain muscle strength.
In AK, muscles also are tested. However, testing is not for the purpose of
determining muscle strength.
AK testing is done to ascertain the neurological state of a
muscle, i.e., is the muscle inhibited or facilitated. This quality of muscle function is unrelated
to muscle strength – as you will see.
In 2000 and 2001, Drs. Leisman and Caruso published results
of a series of research studies to define the characteristics of AK muscle
testing.(1.2) In the most
significant part of these studies, an experienced AK practitioner conducted a
series of 274 muscle tests on various test subjects while force, displacement,
and time measurements were being simultaneously recorded by the Leisman
research team. The AK practitioner recorded
his findings, indicating for each of the 274 tests whether he considered the
muscle inhibited or facilitated. The
data recorded by the Leisman team found that force/displacement data fell
within two distinct categories. For
those muscle tests where muscle function was described as facilitated by the AK
practitioner, a large value for dF/dx was recorded by the instrumentation. Conversely, for those muscle tests where
muscle function was described as inhibited by the AK practitioner, a small
value for dF/dx was recorded by the instrumentation (see Figure 1).
These findings are consistent with the description of AK muscle testing by AK practitioners, i.e., when a muscle is facilitated, the practitioner finds that the muscle can adjust to an increasing force and “lock” (give a feeling of locking to the practitioner) when an increasing force is applied. When a muscle is inhibited, it cannot adjust to the increasing force and cannot “lock”. The research shows that:
a.
an AK muscle test is not a test of muscle strength.
b.
the quality of muscle function being evaluated in an AK muscle test is mathematically described as dF/dx, the first derivative of force with respect to displacement.
c.
The two categories of muscle function, inhibited and facilitated, are
mathematically (and statistically) distinct and separate. In other words, a muscle is either inhibited
or facilitated. There is no middle
ground. The nervous system works in a
binary fashion with respect to AK muscle testing. This binary characteristic of the nervous
system explains why the AK muscle test is not a subjective test of muscle
function along a continuum. Instead,
each test is an evaluation with only one of two possible results, i.e., the
muscle is either facilitated or it is inhibited. Leisman and his research team report that AK is a binary, or two-value, system where the two values, inhibited and facilitated, representing impaired and unimpaired neural function, can be distinguished by experienced practitioners.
The Further Development
of AK
As promised, now let’s explore the fascinating world of AK, and
see how it has expanded over the years to become a powerful an effective tool
for physicians.
If physicians had not been inquisitive as to why muscles respond as they do in an AK muscle test, this information may have remained just another obscure scientific discovery of no particular importance in health care. Fortunately, Dr. Goodheart and a
few of his colleagues were intrigued.
They found that if they manually tested muscles in various patients, the
majority of the muscles would be facilitated but frequently a muscle would be
found that was inhibited. Why? The early research was directed toward
answering this question. They
discovered, for example, that abnormally functioning mechanisms within muscles,
called muscles spindles, were sometimes the cause of the problem. They also discovered that abnormally
functioning Golgi tendon organs within muscles were sometimes the reason for a
muscle being inhibited. They discovered
that points called Chapman reflexes were sometimes related to abnormal muscle function
and that acupuncture points were sometimes related to abnormal muscle
function. And as they investigated
further, they found manual procedures that could be employed to correct each of
these findings and thereby correct inhibited muscle function. These and other similar discoveries led to
greatly improved methods for correcting musculoskeletal problems in patients
with back pain, neck pain, and other musculoskeletal problems. As additional clinical research was done, AK
procedures began to be recognized as invaluable for high-performance
athletes. AK doctors were asked to be
part of the
As the research progressed, the mechanisms underlying the
differences between inhibited and facilitated muscle began to be better
understood. The central integrative
state (CIS) of the alpha motor neurons responsible for activation of muscles
was described. It appeared that whether
a muscle was facilitated or inhibited could depend upon a great variety of
factors, some remote from the muscle itself.
These included factors such as the state of organ systems in the body
(e.g., the digestive system). Sometimes
by improving function of an organ system, like the digestive system, neurological
signaling could change in such a way as to influence the state of a
muscle. A link between the state of
muscles and visceral problems (e.g., digestive system, endocrine system, etc.) was
beginning to be established.
In order to advance the science of AK and more effectively
promulgate information about discoveries in this field, some of the early
pioneers formed a professional organization dedicated to research and study in
this field. Doctors were encouraged to
write papers and share their findings in this newly developing field. Research work continued.
As work progressed, it became clear that a wide variety of
stimuli that might influence the nervous system could, under certain
conditions, affect muscle status. For
example, gustatory (taste) receptors could be used under certain conditions to
find foods or other substances that caused muscles to become inhibited. Similarly, olfactory (smell) receptors could
be used with certain chemicals to cause muscles to become inhibited.
Other work to correlate the Chinese acupuncture meridian
system points with the organ systems to which they relate was carried out. AK testing appeared to verify relationships
that had been discovered in Chinese acupuncture centuries earlier. New ways to analyze and treat the Chinese
acupuncture system were developed.
New and more efficient ways were developed to analyze and treat the cranial/sacral system. This
gave clinicians much improved manual therapies for the treatment of headaches,
for example.
Thousands of papers now have been written in the field of AK
over the 40+ years of research and clinical experience carried out by AK
doctors. Text books have codified the
basic features of AK and the basic procedures.(3) Research is
continuing in many areas and new clinical tests and therapeutic procedures
continue to be developed. AK is being
studied and applied in a clinical setting on every continent. Doctors skilled in its application are now
able to use AK to assist in:
a.
identifying the cause of musculoskeletal problems and making the
necessary corrections
b.
identifying the cause of visceral problems and making the necessary
corrections
c.
identifying acupuncture meridian imbalance and making the necessary corrections
d.
identifying food sensitivities
e.
identifying heavy metal toxicity problems and identifying appropriate therapies
f.
identifying virus, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal problems and identifying appropriate therapies
g.
identifying nutritional deficiencies.
h.
Identifying emotional issues contributing to health problems and identifying energetic patterns that can be
corrected to lessen their impact
i.
refining the application of needle
acupuncture and laser acupuncture
j.
refining the application of nutritional
medicine and homeopathy
k.
refining the application of herbal medicine
l.
refining the application of chiropractic
medicine
m.
refining the application of Ayurvedic (Indian) medicine
…. and more
The nervous system is an information gathering and processing
system. Essentially, AK is allowing the
modern physician to tap into this information system, determine with a high
degree of accuracy what factors are adversely affecting the body, and then
determine what to do to bring the body toward better health.
For more information about AK, visit www.icakusa.com. To find practitioners in your area, please
contact the ICAK at this same web site.
Note that because AK is becoming widely recognized as cutting edge therapy,
there are many imitators advertising that they do AK work. The imitators have
not devoted the years required to properly learn AK, and usually, they are not
providing a useful service. By
contacting the ICAK for information on qualified practitioners, you can avoid
this problem.
Applied Kinesiology:
a clinical diagnostic and
therapeutic system, using manual muscle testing, that draws together elements
of complementary medical therapies such as acupuncture, clinical nutrient,
herbal medicine, and physical medicine, and combines them with mainstream
medical understanding of neurology, biochemistry, and other aspects of
physiology. AK manual muscle testing is
a binary, two-value, system, where the two values, inhibited and facilitated,
representing impaired and unimpaired neural function, can be distinguished by
experienced practitioners. It is a
comprehensive system that orchestrates the application of complementary
medicine tools.
_________________
(1) Caruso, W. and Leisman, G., “A Force/Displacement Analysis of Muscle Testing” Perception and Motor Skills, 2000, 91, 683-692.
(2) Caruso, W. and Leisman, G. “The Clinical Utility of Force/Displacement Analysis of Muscle Testing in Applied Kinesiology” International Journal of Neuroscience, 2001, 106:3-4, 147-157.
(3) Walther, D., Applied Kinesiology Synopsis, 2nd edition, (
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