A P P L I E D   K I N E S I O LO G Y

Applied Kinesiology

The American physician and physiotherapist George Goodheart invented this form of diagnosis and treatment. He is said to have recognised the connection between diseases of the organs and the strength of the muscles in the 1960s.
Muscle weakness is said to be observed in the reflex zones associated with the sick organs. AK first spread in the USA. Various schools developed which applied variations of the muscle testing procedure, e.g. "Touch for Health" (healing through touch), " Edu-Kinestetics" (movement pedagogy) and "Brain-Gym" (learning gymnastics). AK developed increasingly newer methods and associated fancy names such as "Energy Training", "Energy Life Circle" or "Movements Dynamics", etc.

In the meantime, some of these methods have also spread in Germany and Austria. All these methods are based on the so-called muscle test. Some physicians and dentists, but mainly physiotherapists and several hundred alternative practitioners use this diagnostic method. Further forms of AK have developed. Above all, psychotherapeutic programmes should be mentioned: Behavioural Kinesiology, Psychological Kinesiology, as well as programmes that serve economic counselling.

The underlying idea is based on concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The energy flow is the main factor. If it is blocked by stress or unhealthy habits such as smoking or excessive alcohol intake, this supposedly manifests itself in muscle weakness. The idea of cosmic energy circulating in the body, which can be influenced at certain points, is the same as that referred to in acupuncture.
If the energy flows unhindered, the examined organ is healthy and the corresponding muscle is supposedly strongly activated. The diagnostic system of AK is based on the given muscle resistance. With this diagnostic method, Edu-Kinestetics as well as Brain-Gym claim to be able to measure the cooperation of the two hemispheres of the brain and to influence it through movement exercises. Psychotherapeutic programmes are also based on traditional Chinese philosophical and medical ideas. They want to recognise the unconscious control mechanisms of the emotions by means of the AK test and influence them through meditation and nutritional supplements.

Diagnosis

The patient has to resist the pressure of the practitioner's hand either with the arm raised or the leg bent. At the same time, the practitioner places his other hand on the part of the body to be examined. If the arm or leg resists the pressure well, the organ examined is healthy. If, on the other hand, the resistance is weak, the organ under examination must be treated. Similarly, the tolerability of food, the cause of allergies and the medication to be used are examined. The substance to be examined is placed on the "sick" organ and then the AK muscle test is applied. A weak resistance means "no", a strong one "yes". Some practitioners have the patient press on a scale or use the biotensor, an instrument similar to the divining rod.

Treatment

In this technique, massage is applied to the supposedly weakened muscle. Similar to acupuncture, attention is paid to specific reaction points that are said to be located along the spine, head and chest, abdomen and thighs. The applied pressure lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. The tested medicines, mostly from homeopathic preparation or herbal remedies, are applied against the detected diseases.
"Touch for Health" assumes that through physical touch and massage, not only tensions but also emotional problems are relieved.
Edu-Kinestetics and similar methods continue to build on the ideas of the "Touch for Health" theory. The patient is brought into "balance" (mental/emotional equilibrium), whereby physical and emotional tensions are reduced and health is to be achieved.
AK is disseminated by an American company. The publishing house belonging to the company promotes the AK diagnostic method not only through publications but also through courses. The different forms of AK can be studied in the same institutes.

Criticism

The AK diagnosis cannot be scientifically proven because the muscle test is purely subjective. There is the danger that healthy people are declared sick and sick people are declared healthy. Furthermore, in some cases unnecessary medication may be taken or diseases may not be recognised at all and their treatment may be delayed or even prevented.
There is no scientific documentation that proves or confirms the muscle test effect, the same applies to the different forms of AK. The different movement exercises applied belong to normal gymnastics and as such have a positive influence on the patient. Above all, they help to relax, which has a positive effect on the psyche. Furthermore, the effect of AK treatment could be based on the placebo effect, which also has a positive effect on the relaxation of the patient.

AK in all its forms therefore is not medically advisable.