Applied Kinesiology (Muscle Testing)
By Dr. Regan Golob, DC
"Amazing!" "I can't believe this, but it works!"
I have often heard these and similar comments over the years from people first introduced to muscle testing.
Kinesiology has been around since the ancient Egyptians, and is derived from ancient Chinese systems of acupuncture and the energy flow of the body through the ductwork of the meridian systems. In Western medicine, applied kinesiology has been adapted and developed by an osteopathic physician, Dr. Frank Chapman, and several chiropractors, Drs. Terrence Bennet, George Goodheart, and John Thie. Kinesiology is based on the discovery that muscle weakness can be caused by any stress in the body, either chemical, physical or emotional. The stress overrides the body's priority and allows the testing muscle to weaken. Dr. M. L. Rees tells a World War II story of being out drinking with his buddies. They got into a brawl and were arrested and jailed by the MP's. The next morning, they were found to be guilty or innocent by muscle testing. Dr. Rees added that they were accurate -- the emotional stress caused by telling a lie weakens the neurological system.
When performing a muscle test, be sure the person being tested holds their arm straight out from the shoulder with the elbow locked in and the hand open. This is so the person does not bring in more than one muscle group. This test is really not a muscle strength test but one of neurological function. So you are looking for how fast they respond to the command of "Hold" at the same time you push down behind the wrist with a steady, gentle pressure. What you are looking for is an immediate strong lock-in for a positive response. If this test is negative, the person's arm will give to the pressure.
One can use this to find anything from a sore joint to a nutritional imbalance. So once you find the area of weakness, you start looking for what will make that area test or lock-in strong. How does it work to just hold the product in the person's other hand against their stomach? The body senses the magnetic field of the product (yes, even through the bottle) and that will change the energy within the body. Remember, the challenge is to be creative without being judgmental. The more you get your conscious mind in the way, the less accurate your tests will be. Most of the time I just pick up a product to test without even looking at it, so I can stay completely out of it.
There is much more to applied kinesiology. If you have further interest I recommend the book, Touch For Health by Dr. John Thie . Muscle testing is a valuable tool to enhance your health and knowledge of your body's needs, including supplement choices.