Applied kinesiology, or muscle testing, is a controversial part of alternative medicine that tests muscle function to determine overall health. It is derived from Chinese medicine and has been around since the early 20th century. The International College of Applied Kinesiology has established a definition for manual muscle testing, which involves assessing how the nervous system helps muscles adapt to changing pressure. The scope of muscle testing varies among professionals, with some using it to investigate muscle weakness and others using it to draw conclusions about the mind-body relationship. The use of muscle testing is highly controversial, with some studies showing no difference between a reaction to a specific substance and a placebo.
Kinesiology is the scientific study of body movements. Applied kinesiology, or muscle testing, is a part of alternative medicine that tests muscle function and uses those results to determine the overall health of the body. Because muscle testing is not deeply embedded in traditional notions of science, it has not gone without criticism.
Muscle testing is a simple procedure with potentially complex implications. Like acupuncture, it is derived from Chinese medicine and is therefore linked to the belief that the body is governed by a network of energy-transmitting meridians. Despite its recent rise in popularity, muscle testing is not new, having first been introduced to Western culture in the early 20th century. It is related to, and is also known as, applied kinesiology, which is generally said to have been developed by chiropractor George Goodheart in the 1960s.
The International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK) has established a “working definition” for manual muscle testing. Basically, he defines the test as a tool to assess how the nervous system helps muscles adapt to the changing pressure placed on the examiner. A qualified examiner of a muscle test, therefore, must be adequately educated in muscle function and have received adequate training in anatomy, physiology, and neurology. Manual muscle testing, ICAK claims, is not just science, but also art.
Originally, Goodheart combined existing chiropractic and medical muscle testing techniques with concepts he learned while studying Chinese medicine. This led him to the conclusion that every muscle in the body works in concert with a complementary muscle. Problems arise when this relationship becomes unbalanced, a condition that he thought was related to improper flow of energy.
However, the confusion about muscle testing stems from the varied scope that professionals give them. Some professionals think of muscle testing as the basic investigation of muscle weakness. Others use the results of muscle testing to draw conclusions about the client’s relationship between mind and body.
Basic muscle testing generally involves hands-on exploration, using gentle pushes and pulls, of various large muscles. For example, the person being tested may be asked to extend one arm out to the side. This can be done standing, sitting, or prone. If the test is for food allergies, those foods can be held in one hand while pressure is applied to the outstretched arm. Based on the reaction to pressure, and an orientation with the energy meridians, it is said that the practitioner can determine if that food is acceptable to the body.
Another test employed by muscle testers involves a series of questions and answers. As the tester asks the subject various questions known to be true or false, pressure is applied to various muscles. When the subject responds falsely, the muscle yields much more easily to pressure.
As might be expected, the use of muscle testing for such purposes is highly controversial, and some studies have shown no difference between a reaction to a specific food substance or herb and a placebo. On the other hand, the increased acceptance of acupuncture has also made muscle testing more attractive to the general public.
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