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Applied kinesiology
Kinesiology is the study of the anatomy, physiology, and mechanics of body
movement. Applied kinesiology is an alternative therapy, also known as Contact
Reflex Analysis, which was created in 1964 by George Goodheart, an American
chiropractor.
Applied kinesiology as a technique is used to diagnose and treat health problems
by identifying weakened muscles, and should not be confused with Kinesiology.
Applied kinesiology is based on chiropractic principles and requires the manual
manipulation of the spine, extremities and cranial bones. Applied kinesiology
fuses chiropractic with traditional Chinese medicine including not only the
notion of energy or chi but the pathways of acupuncture too.
Applied kinesiology speculates a universal intelligence, of a spiritual nature,
running through the nervous system and that muscles reflect the flow of energy.
The idea behind applied kinesiology is that by measuring muscle resistance
it is possible for a chiropractor to determine the health of bodily organs and
highlight any nutritional deficiencies. Applied kinesiology can also help in
the evaluation of the nervous, vascular, and lymphatic systems and cerebrospinal
fluid function.
In applied resistance-response (also know as muscle strength testing) explorations
of an extended arm or leg are looked at while a person is subjected to various
influences that can range include foods, vitamins, herbs, homeopathic remedies,
music and colors, as well as other stimuli.
Using an extensive diagnostic procedure called manual muscle testing, the applied
kinesiology practitioner can determine the internal source of muscle weakness
and then plan a program designed to ultimately restore health.
Weak responses are interpreted as bad, and strong responses as good. These
form the basis for making diagnoses, prescriptions, food selections, or other
health-related choices. Once a diagnosis is reached, treatment may include a
variety of alternative, as well as conventional remedies and during a course
of treatment; the patient will undergo periodic muscle re-testing as a measurement
tool to verify overall improvement.
The principles of applied kinesiology can be used as part of a diagnostic approach
to both the prevention and treatment of a wide range of health problems.
Applied kinesiology can help to improve gait, posture, and range of motion.
It can also help restore normal function to the nervous, endocrine, immune,
and digestive systems, and determine previously unsuspected food or chemical
sensitivities. The goal of applied kinesiology treatment is to intervene early
enough to prevent or delay illness.
Applied kinesiology is also being used tentatively as a method of lie detection.
It has been argued that applied kinesiology can be used to determine the truth
or falsity of any statement and is a reliable way to determine a person's motives
as muscle movements detected by applied kinesiology are unconsciously triggered.
Although doctors acknowledge that muscle weakness may accompany certain illnesses,
they are skeptical of the way in which applied kinesiology practitioners link
specific muscle weakness to specific medical problems, as there has been no
rigorous scientific testing that has shown applied kinesiology to be an effective
diagnostic tool.
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