Applied Kinesiology (AK) in Asheville

What can it help?

Because Applied Kinesiology is such an advancement over basic chiropractic care, the use of it enables Dr Snider to help many conditions that Chiropractic alone may not help. This includes the typical neck and back pain that many people seek care for, but also includes care for TMJ, headaches, allergies, migraine headaches, candida, digestive discomfort, sinus infections and allergies, fatigue, menopause symptoms,  adrenal fatigue, natural thyroid care, as well as blood sugar issues just to name a few.

What Is It?

Applied kinesiology is a technique used to diagnose and treat health problems by identifying weakened muscles. It should not be confused with conventional kinesiology (from the Greek word kinesis, meaning movement), which is the scientific study of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement.

Universities award advanced degrees in conventional kinesiology, and graduates usually work in the physical therapy divisions of hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Applied kinesiology (AK), on the other hand, is a completely different field, practiced by chiropractors (as well as by some osteopaths and M.D.s) who have completed very specific postgraduate training. Certification in AK can only be achieved by a licensed health-care professional.

Applied kinesiology was developed in the 1960s by George Goodheart, a Detroit chiropractor. It is based on the concept that adverse changes in muscle function can occur as a consequence of a variety of internal triggers. These may include such obvious ones as injury, nerve entrapment, misalignment of the skeleton, or brain damage. According to AK theory, however, muscle weakness (or its opposite, excessive muscle spasm) can also be caused by diseased or dysfunctional internal organs, exposure to toxic substances, nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities, or emotional issues.

Using an extensive diagnostic procedure called manual muscle testing, the AK practitioner can determine the internal source of muscle weakness and then plan a program designed to ultimately restore health. Because manual muscle testing is basically a diagnostic technique, the practitioner will usually also combine muscle testing with a thorough history, physical examination, and appropriate laboratory testing.

Once a diagnosis is reached, the treatment may include a variety of alternative, as well as conventional remedies–from chiropractic adjustments to basic dietary changes. During a course of treatment, the patient will undergo periodic muscle re-testing as a measurement tool to verify overall improvement.

How Does It Work?

Applied kinesiology does not offer an overt “cure” to illness. Instead, by suggesting a number of complementary therapies and disciplines, AK can help the patient to correct small health problems that might eventually lead to larger ones. Practitioners of AK believe that the diagnostic technique of manual muscle testing reveals sources of chronic symptoms that may have been overlooked during a more conventional medical evaluation.

Important to an understanding of applied kinesiology is the concept of “energy medicine” understood in traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, and chiropractic. All of these systems believe that imbalances in the body’s vital energy (or qi) are ultimately responsible for the development of symptoms and potentially of disease itself. If the body’s energy channels (or meridians) are blocked, the flow of qi can become disrupted, creating a disharmony that may show up in a muscle that is located along a particular meridian. Once a practitioner has used applied kinesiology to determine the source of an energy imbalance, then acupuncture, homeopathy, or chiropractic may be used to facilitate the healing process.

What You Can Expect

A certified practitioner of applied kinesiology must be a licensed health-care professional, so your first encounter with AK will most likely be in the offices of a chiropractor who has taken sufficient postgraduate courses to earn certification.  The practitioner will ask you detailed questions about your health and lifestyle, and will observe your posture, gait, and such obvious physical problems as a limp. Any muscle testing done by the practitioner will generally, but not necessarily, be focused around your particular complaint. Inherent in the muscle testing, however, is an assessment of the function of your vital organs as well as your response to a variety of foods.

Muscle testing is totally painless, although the actual technique varies considerably among practitioners. During the procedure, you may be asked to sit, lie down, or even stand.  Then the practitioner may gently press down on your arm while you try to resist and pull your arm up. If you can resist, it is a good indication that the muscle is healthy and strong. If you cannot, it shows that an energy imbalance exists in a related part of your body. Since much of muscle testing is based on the meridian system of Chinese medicine, patients are occasionally surprised when the practitioner tests the muscles of an arm or leg and then states that the problem probably lies in an internal organ, such the liver.

An AK practitioner will often use this type of muscle testing (known as “Localization”) to look for food or chemical sensitivities or nutritional needs. To test for these, you will probably be asked to hold a bit of the potentially offending substance while the practitioner tests the relevant muscle, typically by pressing down on your arm. If you are sensitive to wheat, for example, you will be unable to resist.

To test for the relevance of an emotional event in your past, the practitioner may test the strength of a muscle while asking you to remember how you felt during a specific decade of your life, or at the mention of a family member. This second technique is termed “Challenge” among applied kinesiologists.

Once your body has been tested for both “Localizations” and “Challenges,” the practitioner may suggest additional (and more conventional) testing to verify the findings. A course of therapy will most likely be outlined that might include chiropractic manipulation, craniosacral therapy, physical therapy, homeopathy, and nutrition supplements.

The practitioner may also suggest more conventional lifestyle and diet changes, and programs of exercise and stress reduction.

Health Benefits

According to its practitioners, 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. AK 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.

What is the educational background of an applied kinesiologist?

It takes hundreds of hours of study and years of practice to perfect the multitude of diagnostic techniques that have been developed in AK. In fact, any AK practitioner will tell you that he is constantly refining and developing manual muscle testing skills and the interpretation of the test results.

At first glance, muscle testing appears easy, fascinating and impressive. The ability to test muscles, however, requires specific techniques, sensitivity and objectivity. Once the muscle testing skill has been developed, it becomes necessary to interpret the outcome of the test. Interpreting the results requires the years of training that qualifies one as a licensed physician. Therefore, applied kinesiology is only taught to persons licensed to diagnose in the health care field.

To practice AK, one must take a basic course that takes over 100 hours of classroom study and practice to complete. A basic proficiency exam in AK must be passed at the end of the course. A minimum of 300 hours of AK instruction, passage of written and oral examinations, and submission of two original research papers are required to reach the next step; becoming a diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology (DIBAK). A diplomate represents the highest level of certification in AK.

Applied Kinesiologist in Asheville

I hope you sense my passion for helping you achieve a higher level of wellness, and a properly balanced nutritional profile. This is why I offer a free consultation to anyone who would like more information. I hope  I can show you a personal plan of health that is easy to manage and gets you the results your body needs as quick as possible. Please contact me today.