Kinesiology

Kinesiology is defined as the study of human movement, from the Greek word root Kinesis meaning to move. The study of movement itself is a widely accepted field, used in clinical research, fitness and industrial settings. Applied Kinesiology, however, is a form of alternative medicine which is commonly associated with chiropractic medicine.

Applied Kinesiology is a method of diagnosis but which the level of function of the body is tested by manual muscle strength testing. Anecdotal evidence supports the use of applied kinesiology as an alternative health method, but it is not widely accepted in the standard medical community.

Applied Kinesiology was started by chiropractor George J. Goodheart in 1964 and is primarily associated with chiropractic care, but other practitioners of alternative medicine had also combined Applied Kinesiology with other methods, including some mainstream medical practitioners. The theory is that organ dysfunction corresponds with a weakness in a specific muscle. This is the point which the mainstream medical community takes issue, stating that there is no scientific basis for the theory.

A manual muscle test to indicate problem areas involves the practitioner exerting a force on the target muscle, while the patient exerts force in the opposite direction. Rather than a test of strength in terms of weights, the practitioner looks for smoothness of response. If the expected response is not smooth or the muscle does not exhibit the correct tension, then a problem is indicated.

There is also a nutrient test, which is similar to the muscle test except that it tests how the muscles respond to different vitamins, medications etc. A weak muscle test with a specific vitamin would indicate that the body does not need or is not able to absorb the vitamin. A strong muscle test with a vitamin would indicate that the body does need that vitamin.

The debate about the validity of Applied Kinesiology continues, but it is a common form of preventative medicine within the chiropractic community and other practitioners of holistic healing.