Kinesiology is defined as the scientific study of human movements. Also known as kinetics, it entails studying muscles as well as their movements and is extensively used by fitness specialists, physiotherapists, coaches and educators.
Kinesiology has been used for more than three decades throughout the world and, now, the word has assumed a new meaning.
In the present context, kinesiology illustrates the natural health system that is employed by therapists founded on the manual examination or testing of the muscles.
The new connotation or the evolution of the new meaning of kinesiology does not come as a surprise as it is a very 'practical' therapy and much more real for the individuals to experience for themselves what exactly a muscle analysis is.
They are also able to feel the variation when any change takes place and find out the manner in which their body responds to the everyday strains and stresses compared to offering just verbal explanation to communicate similar information.
The inventive and inquisitive mind of George Goodheart DC, an American chiropractor, is known to be the father of kinesiology. Goodheart began using muscle testing in 1964 to assess the efficiency of his healing methods.
Generally, his testing technique involved a string of muscle examinations prior to and following a spinal adjustment, enabling him to get precious pointers on how successful a treatment was for the health condition he was healing.
In addition to this, the examinations also allowed him to collect additional information into the disposition of a muscle spasm.
Among the several recurring problems faced by Goodheart was that when a section of his patients would resume their usual life style after treatment, they would again be plagued by the muscle spasm, which returned accompanied by the pain and inflexibility.
One of the first things that Goodheart perceived during these tests was that there were other means to alleviate the pain as well as reinstate the equilibrium of the muscles.
He had this insight while he was examining a patient enduring acute pain and whose tensor fascia lata or the outer thigh muscle 'unlocked' every time when tested.
This frustrated Goodheart immensely and he started massaging the patient's thigh firmly along the outer muscle. He was surprised to note that his actions led the muscles to hold their position when they were rested and even the pain waned.
The initial accomplishment excited Goodheart who began massaging the other 'frail' muscles. However, this time his actions did not yield the desired results or alleviate pain.
It was much later that Goodheart discovered during the course of his prolonged research that he had revived a technique that not only strengthened the muscles, but was also related to the lymphatic system.
The first genuine advancement in kinesiology came when Goodheart was examining the anterior serratus or shoulder muscle of a young man experiencing difficulties in retaining his labour-intensive job as his shoulder blade continued to 'pop out.'
During the tests, Goodheart detected tender spot in the vicinity of the part where the muscle is attached to the bones. Soon, he started massaging the muscle in that area. While massaging,
Goodheart's fingers felt the presence of tiny lumps (called nodules), which appeared to withdraw when he massaged the area or pressed them firmly.
When he examined the area, he was surprised to find that the muscle had regained strength and it continued to be firm.
Jubilant over his new findings, Goodheart shared his experience with his fellow chiropractors and soon this technique of reinforcing the muscles became known as origin and insertion massage.
Inspired with his initial success, Goodheart continued to research and experiment further. During the course of his experimentations, he observed that when any particular muscle became feeble, the muscle on the opposite part of the body (corresponding muscle) was also affected and it would become firm.
However, when the weakness of concerned muscle was treated or relaxed, it had a positive result on the other muscle that had become tight even though it was not worked on or treated directly.
This finding led him to conclude that the muscle spasm was not responsible for the problem, but the 'weak' muscle was responsible for making other corresponding muscles extremely rigid or strained.
This condition may be compared to a swing door, which remains in place due to the action of two springs. Everything works fine till the tension of both the springs is equal.
However, when one pushes the door, it opens as one spring gives, while the second spring is compacted and, subsequently, the door sways back to its original position.
However, in case one of the two springs turns out to be loose, the opposite spring will tighten and obstructed or tangled up. This, in turn, will affect the mobility of the door, which will not swing freely any more.
You cannot fix the problem by simply oiling or repairing the tangled spring. You can only make the door work as before by replacing the damaged spring or by restoring the balance of the 'weak' spring.
This example also applies to our muscles. Every movement made by a particular muscle of our body, affects another corresponding muscle or a cluster of muscles. While one muscle contracts, the other relaxes.
This occurs in a sequence. When you place your hand on a table and strike your fingers on it, you will clearly notice that the muscles on both sides of your forearm will relax and contract alternately in a sequence, which will cause your fingers to move.
This was a very simple, but revolutionary finding, which demonstrated that when one has a muscle spasm, in order to reinstate the balance of the affected muscle you need to treat or work on the corresponding or opposing muscle and not the firm muscle.
In those days and before Goodheart's findings, the common practice was to only work on the excessively firm and painful muscle employing massaging techniques to loosen up the muscle, and if necessary, also readjust the bones.
If this was done, people considered the treatment to be complete. While this type of treatment helped to alleviate the pain and also loosen up the muscle, it was not a permanent solution.
In most instances the spasm would recur, because the therapists did nothing to deal with the basic problem related to the 'weak' muscle.
Like a tent requires all the ropes to work with equal tension to sustain its firm structure, our body also requires all its muscles to perform in unison to sustain its balance.
Enriched by his findings, Goodheart presented the world with a novel method to work with the muscles to alleviate pain as well as tension. However, till that time, he himself was not sure about what was precisely responsible for making the muscles 'weak'.
Goodheart not only utilized this principle of treating the 'weak' muscles, but also continued his research to develop newer techniques to reinstate the body's balance.
As early as in 1965, Goodheart studied that the muscles would be significantly reinforced when the other body areas, which may appear to be unrelated to the problem area, were firmly massaged.
Often, these areas were found to be weak and the weakness would vanish once the area was massaged. In fact, Goodheart found that all these weak points formed a part of many other or a cluster of reflex points, which were identified earlier by the renowned osteopath Frank Chapman.
Goodheart used his new-found discovery to enhance the functioning of the lymphatic system too.
Soon, Goodheart also recognized that these reflex points were related to the points he had discovered earlier almost accidentally while working on a patient, whose outer thigh muscle (fascia lata) were weak and would not fortify.
Precisely speaking, this is considered to be the first time when a correlation of an assortment of strengthening methods to rectify the weak muscles, which also comprised addressing the blood circulation, acupuncture points, meridians, nutrition, energy flow and emotions, was established.
Goodheart not only evolved the science of studying the movements of the human body, but also share his findings with contemporary chiropractors.
He also talked about as well as demonstrated his discoveries at various seminars, conventions and workshops across the globe.
He christened the new system as Applied Kinesiology and also established the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK) in the United States in 1973.
All our actions, including eating, walking, falling, and even thinking, are continually recorded and they influence all the organs, and systems of our body.
In case you are experiencing soreness in one leg, you naturally shift your body weight with a view to alleviate the pain. Therefore, when you put more pressure on the muscles of the other leg and the foot, it changes your position as well as the center of gravity.
When this happens, it may result in locked joints as well as strained blood vessels, thereby limiting blood circulation throughout the other leg and foot.
This, in turn, affects nutrient supply to the organs and even alters hormone production. In other words, this denotes that the chemical balance of your body is altered when this happens and this has an effect on every single cell of your body.
Moreover, your posture will also change when you begin to feel as well as think in a different way, and this will result to another area becoming tight, another pain and, eventually, another cycle.
Our body actually works as a single interacting unit, an inherent unit complete with several dissimilar parts, organs, systems and functions. All these interconnect and interact closely affecting one another.
There are many things we do that disturb the balance of our body. In such situations, our body gives off warning signals in the form of pains and aches, trivial digestive problems, common tiredness, tension, crying for no perceptible cause, absence of concentration and so on.
These signals tell us that everything is not well with our body and we need to be cautious and take care. It is, however, unfortunate that we do not pay any heed to such warnings all the times.
On several occasions, we simply wait till our body begins to break down and takes immediate attention.
All our actions or whatever we do influence our entire body in various ways. This is the primary reason why all complementary therapies, including kinesiology, do not just address the symptoms, but employ the whole person technique or approach.
Precisely speaking, kinesiology takes all the aspects of an individual, counting his/ her physical, mental, and nutritional conditions as well as life style, into account.
Each of these not only interacts with the others, but also helps to offer an overall picture of the person's condition. When we talk about interaction, we mean that each of the above mentioned aspects are dependent on one another and when one of these is disturbed, it may also affect the others.
Therefore, addressing any one area or the affected condition will not cure the problem. On the contrary, dealing with just one area may result in the recurrence of the problem.
For instance, treating low back or lumber pain may involve several things like manipulations, adjusting the spinal cord and/ or taking pain killers.
However, if the sufferer consumes ten cups of potent coffee daily, which actually makes his/ her psoas muscles (also known as hip stabilizer) weaker, the patient is also likely to undergo tension at work and will also not have a satisfactory home life.
In such a situation, undergoing only physical treatment is possibly not enough to cure the problem permanently and the health disorder is likely to occur from time to time.
Therefore, in order to provide a complete and permanent relief to the patient, it will be necessary to address all the aspects at the same time. Only this will ensure that the sufferer will be able to function effectively and also not suffer any pain.
In kinesiology, therapists generally use a triangle to explain the health harmony between this therapy method, nutritional/ chemical, structure/ physical and the subject's mental or emotional aspects.
As each of them has the potential to influence the others, it is essential to adopt an approach that will help to reinstate the balance between all these aspects.
Therefore, undertaking a muscle test is often useful in finding out the basic source for the problems suffered by an individual and also helps to decide the mode of treatment needed to cure them.
It is interesting to note that our body stores all data regarding the trauma experienced in our lives.
These are stored in the muscles and all the muscles in the body enclose detailed records of how they have been used and the trauma experienced by them in different times.
In addition, the muscles also have a major role in the communication systems of our body. The muscles transmit signals to the spinal cord, which, in turn, sends the signals to the brain, which received the messages, interprets them and also responds to them.
The replies sent by the brain to the muscles through the spinal cord result in actions. Significantly enough, all these take place within a fraction of a second.
The actions taken by our body following receipt of messages from the brain may differ and include a movement responding to a change in gravity, releasing any hormone, an alteration in the body temperature, development of a feeling and countless such actions.
This communication between the muscles and the brain via the spinal cord is a continuous and unceasing process inside our body.
So, when we check the responses of the muscles to instructions received from the brain, we are actually checking the neurological system involving the muscles, spinal cord and the brain.
Simply imagine your body to be a massive telephone system, the spinal cord as the local exchange and the brain to be that most important exchange.
In such a situation, you can visualize the messages being transmitted from the muscles (in this case, telephones) via the spinal cord passing through the vertebrate column (which can be considered as the telephone wires in local exchanges) to the brain (the main exchange).
As in the telephone systems, there are calls disconnected, crossed connections, permanently engaged lines, breakdowns as well as interference in the neurological communication system between the muscles and the brain.
This makes it obvious why sometimes messages sent by the brain or the muscles can also be confused.
So, when we undertake muscle testing, we actually look into this communication system inside the body, find out the disentangled lines that may have become interweaved resulting in confused messages.
During muscle testing we work to correct this anomaly with a view to reinstate the normal balance of the body.
In all, the flesh of our body comprises roughly 650 muscles and all of them make up nearly 50 percent of the body's total weight. The muscles make the bones move and they remain attached to the bones by means of tendons.
In fact, there are two attachments - one fixed (also called the origin) and the other an insertion. The insertion type of attachment is movable.
When any muscle contracts, it works to pull the insertion in the direction of the origin. A harmonized action of the muscle pairs that contract and relax simultaneously brings about movement.
It is worth mentioning that the state of all the muscles in our body is always in a slight tension, also known as muscle tone, which helps to sustain the upright position of our body.
In addition, the slight tension of the muscles also helps the muscles to respond quickly, springing into action whenever required.
When energy from the different body systems freely flows to any muscle, it results in the augmented performance of that particular muscle.
On the contrary, when the flow of energy to any particular muscle is obstructed or stops completely, the performance of the muscle will diminish.
However, one does not always feel or realize this, as our body tries its best to compensate for the weak muscles by engaging the other muscles to overcome all unnecessary strain and stress it has to endure.
As our body possesses the inherent aptitude to regulate as well as correct its anomalies on its own, it will try to work by itself to restore the balance of the various systems and aspects of the body.
Kinesiology helps the body to tweak or modify itself when it is enduring imbalances. In addition, kinesiology also equips us with several means to gather together the self-healing abilities of the body.
In kinesiology, muscle testing is an extensively used tool. It enables the practitioner to access the communication system of the body and collect information regarding the health condition of the person who is being examined.
Depending on these as well as the information received and sent by the muscles, the practitioner checks to find out whether the treatment given has been successful.
When the muscles are rested after the treatment it tells the therapist a few things about the person undergoing the treatment and the effectiveness of the treatment.
Besides telling us about the efficacy of the treatment, it also communicates to the body that some modifications have occurred. When the muscles receive this information they adjust them to the changes that have taken place following the treatment.
The muscles that had become firm and inflexible, unwinds themselves as well as adjust to the correct tune and recover their postural position. In fact, the muscles have received new information and they require reinforcing this.
As we all are aware, it is very difficult to overcome our old habits. So when we rest the anchors, it helps to modify the systems of our body.
Muscle testing is designed in such a way that it aims at isolating a particular muscle or a group of muscles to the maximum extent possible by applying pressure on it so that it contracts to its utmost position.
You will be able to experience this especially when you stretch one hand out to your side and up to the height of your shoulder. Subsequently, bring the arm in front in such a manner that it forms a 90° angle with your body.
When you do this, you will experience that the muscle below your hand is gradually becoming shorter as well as bulkier. So now you know what exactly happens to your muscles when they contract.
A therapist will apply manual pressure on a muscle at this stage to find whether your arm is able to hold in this position.
Kinesiology practitioners undertake this test not to assess the strength of a muscle, but to determine the neurological response of the muscle as well as its capability to lock in a particular position.
There are three main ways in which the testing methods involved in kinesiology vary from the original approach of muscle testing.
First, kinesiology does not involve appraising the strength or power of a particular muscle. On the contrary, it evaluates the nervous system that regulates the functioning of the muscle that is being tested.
In kinesiology, the timing of a muscle test system is also different from the original form of muscle examination.
After the limb, which is to be examined, is placed in the proper position, there is a purposeful break in proceedings of approximately two seconds prior to applying pressure on the muscles.
This is done deliberately to allow the body sufficient time to record as well as alter according to the changes that have occurred. Moreover, this is also necessary to enable the body to recollect earlier data, which is accumulated in the muscles.
When we tap into the complicated communication systems of our body by means of muscle testing, it allows us to know or find out the imbalances between the different aspects of our body.
Whenever one muscle becomes weak, our body undertakes all things possible to compensate this by engaging the services of the other muscles.
Muscle testing enables us to ascertain the authentic condition of our body. When we undertake muscle testing, we actually try to find a 'lock' that is responsible for the problems.
So what is a 'lock'? Precisely speaking, it is a muscle which meets as well as remains rigid even when pressure is applied to it. We know that a muscle requires to be treated when it feels sappy, quivers or gives way during muscle testing.
Once it has been found that a particular muscle is weak, you can choose from an assortment of available options to correct the imbalance or restore its balance.
While an individual can easily push on any limb, but muscle testing is not just limited to this. In addition to some first-rate fundamental understanding of the muscles, you require appropriate training as well as practice to be able to find their location as well as precise function in our body.
At the same time, you ought to know the different aspects that may influence muscle testing. Unless you take all these things into account it is likely that the results of your examination will not be reliable.
Generally, nearly all kinesiology practitioners undertake a 'clearing' process prior to commencing a muscle test. Just like trying to learn how to play a musical instrument, you just cannot be an expert in muscle testing in a while and start playing a tune.
You need to pick up the skills slowly and fine tune them through regular practice. Like in the case of learning to play any musical instrument, fine tuning your skills is necessary before you can become a professional kinesiology practitioner.
Kinesiology is defined as the study of human movements and it deals with mechanical, physiological as well as psychological mechanisms.
Hence, when we say that it is beneficial for every individual, it is not an exaggeration of facts. In fact, kinesiology recognizes the personal requirements of each individual, irrespective of whether they are young, aged, fit or ailing.
Moreover, kinesiology is effective in curing almost 80 percent of the health disorders, including depression, nervousness, pains, aches, digestive disorders, skin eruptions and many more, for which people visit their physicians.
Kinesiology is also effective for altering one's attitude, behaviour and belief systems. It is helpful in enhancing coordination, alertness, reading, writing, artistic skill and even performance in sports events.
Kinesiology can also be used to become aware of one's nutritional requirements, food intolerances, addictions and allergies.
So, how can kinesiology, which is often regarded as a form of alternative medicine, be effective in all the above mentioned cases?
It is possible because kinesiology represents all the facets of the human being, including the body, mind and spirit and also provides us with all the means to improve their health and functioning whenever required.
It is important to note that kinesiology is not a cure-all, but it offers an accurate means to evaluate as well as rectify the imbalances in our body. In fact, ill-health is nothing, but imbalances in our body systems and, hence, correcting the imbalances helps to cure the body too.
Several day-to-day problems confronted by us in present times may be related to our existing life styles. Whether you agree or not, our life styles have undergone a sea change during the last 100 years, so much so that it is often difficult to recognize.
For instance, the food we eat have been processed, refined or treated; pesticides and other harmful chemicals are rampantly used to grow foods; machines are used to undertake our domestic errands; for the most part, we ride these days than walk; and spend our time sitting either in office or to watch television.
All these not only have a harmful effect on our body, but make our life style sedentary.
Currently, our planet, the earth is under threat and so are our bodies. Physicians prescribe antibiotics freely and they are given even to small children.
As a result, the friendly bacteria in our body also get eliminated. In such a scenario, can our bodies combat serious infections when the need arises?
Or else will our bodies become so accustomed to these drugs that after a certain period they will not have the desired effects anymore?
At the same time, use of such drugs will also deplete the effectiveness of our body's natural defensive means rendering them ineffective.
Hence, it is not surprising that with the passage of time, there has been a rapid increase in occurrences of allergies, cancers and even AIDS. Consequently, all these are weighing down on our immune system even more.
Time and again, it may be difficult for us to prove that specific actions taken by us have helped to prevent ailments. Nevertheless, it is very clear that serious diseases like heart ailments, diabetes and many others do not occur overnight.
In most cases, before such diseases become apparent, we suffer from a collapse of the systems of our body. Poor diet, absence of adequate exercise and too much stress contribute to their development.
However, if we are able to detect the unrealized trivial breakdowns and correct them on time, it helps to diminish the chances of their accumulation and resulting in severe ailments or diseases some time later.
Any symptom and however insignificant is actually a communication from our body meant to alert the individual that everything is not well. Allopathic physicians generally prescribe drugs or undertake surgeries to cure these symptoms.
On the other hand, complementary medicine puts emphasis on the fact that our body possesses the ability to heal itself and the symptoms are an indication that something in our body is not working as usual and our body is working to defend itself.
Kinesiology is a genuinely all-encompassing or comprehensive therapy, because it treats an individual as a whole, instead of just dealing with the symptoms.
It works with the body, mind, spirit and emotions simultaneously with a view to enhance the well-being of an individual.
When you use kinesiology, you are actually trained to trust the reliability of the body; do not just take it for granted to diagnose or label the breakdown and support the body to smoothly get back its original health as well as balance.
In allopathic medicine, everyone suffering from the same symptoms is likely to be given the same medications. It is also likely that all of them will be provided with the same treatment or remedy.
On the other hand, kinesiology does not concentrate on the symptoms, but it wants to find out the actual requirements of the body. Employing a different approach, kinesiology gets results, which other methods fail to obtain.
The appraisal methods remove all presumptions regarding the treatment methods and requirements by permitting the body to divulge where exactly the problem lies and all things that are required to restore its optimal health and functioning.
Kinesiology is mainly popular because of its diversity or the assortment of this system's application, which is more or less immeasurable.
So, what does kinesiology exactly do? Precisely speaking kinesiology enhances as well as restores the balance of the vital life force of the body.
In kinesiology, the healing is done by nature and not the practitioner. In this endeavor, nature is supported by healthy diet or appropriate nutrition and necessary rest.
Nature has the aptitude to facilitate the body to itself get rid of all the accumulated toxins, reinstate the flow of energy as well as release all negative stress.
Time and again, our muscles lose their normal balance resulting in various health problems. In effect, every time we are burdened with a new stress, it possibly causes an imbalance.
Just imagine yourself to be an electrical being full of life. Whenever there is any deficit or any excess of any element in this electrical system, it will result in the malfunctioning of the system.
Kinesiology involves studying human movements and muscle testing. Therefore, when a muscle is tested and it does not 'lock' (in other words, remain in that particular position), it suggests that there is some kind of an imbalance in our body.
Kinesiology adjusts the functioning of the body systems by configuring the electrical energy circuits in our body (imagining it to be a lively electrical form).
Kinesiology employs various treatment approaches to reinstate the flow of energy into the different systems of our body, thereby producing a change. When this change takes place, it also results in an improvement in the response of the muscle causing it to 'lock'.
Nearly every one of us visualizes energy in the form of vitality, zest and sparkles and we generally believe it to be something like 'get up and go'. And our perception of energy is definitely not wrong.
However, there is more to energy - it is not only limited to us, but encircles as well as emits from our body.
Moreover, you should not just be limited to your skin, as each one of us has an aura or an energy field, which moves beyond the limitations of the skin and it is also possible for us to see as well as feel. This form of energy is known as 'subtle energy'.
As kinesiology is a very practical mode of treatment, it enables us to interact with this energy field surrounding us by means of touch.
This kind of interaction with the energy fields is illustrated clearly by a method called surrogate testing, wherein a different individual (actually a substitute) is used to avail information for any person who is unable to undergo direct muscle testing.
For instance, this approach is adopted in the case of an infant or a very aged person, whose muscles cannot be tested directly. In fact, this method also works excellently for animals and plants.
All things, including plants, crystals, hands, foods and others have their own energy field. You can easily see this type of energy fields through a method called Kirlian photography, which has been named after Semyon Kirlian, a Russian electronics engineer who invented it.
Kirlian photography creates photographs by making use of high frequency electrical current rather than light. To take these photographs you place a plate between the subject and the high frequency electrical current.
When the system is activated to pass the current, the subject may experience a mind tingling. The photographic prints produced through this system appear as something akin to flares emitting from the subject.
It is possible to 'read' the Kirlian photographic prints and a number of kinesiologists have also tested this system by taking snaps prior to and after restoring the balance and the results have been very interesting.
In fact, scientists are of the view that Kirlian photography may prove to be very useful for our health.
Scientific studies hint that indications of ailments as well as diseases are visible in the aura or energy field surrounding us, much before they are actually detected physically on our body.
For several centuries, people have been studying as well as working with this type of 'subtle energy' in different countries with the purpose of healing.
In fact, the Bible as well as other ancient literature mention about a person being encircled by light or some kind of aura emitting from his body.
A number of people possess a natural aptitude to visualize auras, while there are other people who develop the expertise after undergoing a brief training. It has been widely accepted by all that some kind of subtle energy does exist.
Talking liberally, majority of the people have the aptitude to experience the energy field surrounding every human. You may perform a simple task to experience this.
Keep your hands close to each other, but do not touch. Next, move them about two inches away from each other and again get them back to their initial position.
Next time, you move your hands and keep a space of approximately four inches between them. Repeat this pattern by continuously and slowly moving your hands closer and away from each other, decreasing and increasing the gap between them every time.
As you do this, you will experience something happening between your hands. You are likely to feel some heat, cold, stinging and a pressure - something akin to a force field; something is there, but you cannot see it.
Having experienced or felt your individual energy field, you may make an endeavor to experiment it with a partner. In this case, position both your hand above that of your partner, with your palms facing the palms of your partner.
Try experimenting with distance - bringing your palms closer to your partner's and then taking them apart. Move your hands over your partner's body slowly, taking your time.
There will be times when you will not experience anything, but your partner may be providing you with helpful feedback regarding his/ her experience during the entire process.
It is interesting to note that it is believed that this three-dimensional aura or energy field encloses the valuable information regarding your entire previous experiences as well as the condition of your personal health.
Although you cannot see this energy field, therapists who have mastered the art of kinesiology and achieved an understanding of this science possess the ability to visualize this aura and employ their skills to restore the balance of the subtle energy fields.
Most of us use a thermostat in our home, especially the central heating system, with a view to provide warmth as well as supply us with warm water constantly.
Similarly, our body also makes use of an assortment of mechanisms to facilitate the maintenance of homeostasis balance.
Precisely speaking, it works to maintain the body temperature at 98.6°F (37°C) constantly, regulate the levels of blood sugar as well as set the homeostasis systems in motion.
These homeostasis mechanisms include goose bumps, which protect us from hypothermia; fatigue to alert you that you are working excessively and thirst to prevent you from becoming dehydrated.
Kinesiologists also use the term 'balance' to illustrate exactly what a kinesiology session means and what precisely takes place in this mode of treatment.
Often you will find people talking about things like 'having a balance', 'giving a balance' and 'being balanced'. In simple terms, this denotes muscle testing - detecting the muscles that are 'turned off', rectifying these employing various techniques as well as reinstating the flow of energy.
On the other hand, people may use terms like imbalance or blockages to illustrate the reasons why a particular muscle is remaining locked and not responding.
When the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic balance of our body is restored, it enables our bodies to deal with all the additional strains or pressures we exert on these muscles more effectively.
When you appropriately employ the technique mentioned above, it will help to restore the balance of your body be means of reinforcing the feeble muscles as well as working on the low energy level in the body.
All of these techniques are equally vital and the treatment should be essentially based on the precise requirements of the body, or what the body indicates about its requirements.
Food is a vital aspect of our life. With new developments taking place from time to time and acquiring center stage, our food will continue to be the main topic - like what we should avoid eating, which foods should not be consumed in excess and what is not enough.
Most of us know what we ought to be eating, but we do not put this into practice most of the time.
In fact, the functioning of our body and its systems largely depends on the foods we consume. If we eat and drink healthy foods in the right amounts, our body will function optimally.
On the other hand, harmful or unsafe foods results in malfunctioning of the systems. This eventually leads to diseases and health problems.
For instance, those of you own cars cannot fill up your vehicle's petrol tank with cooking oil and still expect it to function properly. We ought to give a similar thought while eating and drinking.
We consume foods with a view to build our body, repair its wear and tear and also to generate heat and energy.
Therefore, it is important to choose our food with care. In today's fast-paced life, we cannot expect to survive healthily by eating a sandwich for lunch before rushing to a meeting or having some chips or foods that are micro processed.
Even carrying on a crash diet is not going to help. All these things will send distress signals to all our systems.
Kinesiology, the science of studying human movements, is one treatment mode that offers excellent nutritional support for all the muscles, guiding each one of them on how they should react to fulfill the requirements of an individual.
The nutritional requirements of every individual are different and may change continuously. Kinesiology involves muscle testing that enables the flexibility to fulfill the varying requirements of an individual.
If a particular muscle 'unlocks' during muscle testing and the therapist wishes to detect if specific nutriments will aid in strengthening the body, he/ she will tell the client or subject to keep the food, supplement or liquid in their mouth during the period when their muscle is being tested again.
Provided the muscle "locks' (stay in a particular position) and remains firm, it is an indication that the body requires nutrition. In fact, when the food mixes with saliva inside the mouth, there is almost an instant reaction.
Therapists practicing kinesiology are of the view that a reflex action occurs when the food, liquid or supplement mixes with saliva.
This reflex action, known as 'neuro-lingual' (or the brain-tongue) facilitates the absorption of ingested food via the tongue and subsequently, this information is transmitted to the brain with a view to facilitate it to retrieve the consequences that the food will have on the entire body, in general.
It is quite easy to relate the connection between the food we consume and the brain, because we are aware that simply thinking about any food that we crave makes our mouth water.
However, in case our body does not have any requirement for additional nutrition, no change will be noticed in the response of muscle that is being tested.
Once the therapist has checked this aspect of our health's harmony, he/ she will try to find out if the body requires any other correction to restore its original balance.
It is important to note that instead of just placing the food inside the mouth, it is always more useful when we place the food in the energy field of our body. Generally, after it is consumed, the food is held against the cheek or in the navel's region.
Kinesiology uses reflex points for correcting the imbalances of the body by means of neuro-lymphatic massage and neuro-vascular holding points, which are discussed in detail below.
A reflex reaction occurs when a body part that is being treated has an effect on another part of the body with no perceptible relation. It can be compared to lighting a bulb.
When you put on the switch of a light, it lights up a bulb, which is at a distance from the switch. However, you know that the bulb and the switch are connected through wires that are concealed somewhere.
Similarly, touching the body at one place can have an effect on another part of the body, which may appear to be unrelated.
Most of us are aware that all our body parts are connected with each other by various means, including the blood vessels, nerves and meridians.
In fact, in this manner you are able to treat one part of the body by touching or rubbing another part, which are apparently not connected. In this way, you are able to alleviate certain types of headaches by rubbing a particular point on the outside of your thigh!
Dr. Frank Chapman, DO, who first described the reflex points, stated that when specific points on our body are stimulated, it augments lymphatic drainage in a particular organ.
Way back in 1930, he also presented an outline of these reflex points. Generally, these reflex points are located in the gaps between the rib bones on the front as well as the rear side of the body.
Some of them can also be found on the arms, legs and the trunk. These reflex points are very different from the glands, nodes or the lymphatic vessels.
In fact, the neuro-lymphatic reflexes are basically specific points on our body that have the aptitude to bring about changes in the lymphatic circulation.
The aptitude of our body to combat infections as well as obliterate the assailants mostly depends on the lymphatic system, which is considered to be the defensive armed force of our body.
In fact, the lymphatic system works together with the circulatory system and serves in the form of a filter as well as a drainage system inside the body, thereby facilitating the blood to take care of the by-products released due to the metabolic processes in the cells.
Very different from the blood circulatory system, wherein the heart forces blood to flow to the different parts of the body under pressure, lymphatic movement is induced by contraction of muscles, which helps the lymph to flow through the lymphatic vessels as well as the lymph nodes.
When our body is combating infections, the lymph nodes may often be enlarged and inflamed, resulting in swollen glands. The body areas that are affected most frequently are those that are in the region of the neck, groin and the armpits.
Taking a diet that is very rich in fat may also put extra burden on the immune system. As a result, the lymph functions very sluggishly and becomes extremely thick affecting its free movement.
The lymphatic system is comprised of lymphatic vessels, lymphatic ducts and lymphatic nodes (also called glands).
Our body also contains additional lymphatic tissues, which include the appendix, adenoids, tonsils, thymus gland, Peyer's patches, which are present in the small intestine, and the spleen.
The amount of lymph present in our body is almost double that of the blood. The lymphatic system is responsible for producing antibodies as well as the lymphocytes (also known as white blood cells).
As a general rule, when the neuro-lymphatic reflex points are stimulated, it facilitates the body to activate the mechanisms that promote lymph circulation.
Therefore, when you picture a switch that turns on or turns off the lymph circulation, it is easier to comprehend the reason behind the quicker response of the muscles when these points are stimulated.
It is important to note that the flow of lymph is not responsible for the changes or restoration of the body's balance. On the contrary, when the communication systems are 'unblocked' it triggers an entire succession of impulse to enable our body to act in response.
The lymphatic points may be present unaccompanied or in groups on the muscles. Nevertheless, they may also be found spread all over a complete muscle.
Often, these reflex points are sensitive - the points present in the front portion of the body are tender compared to those found at the back of the body.
Therapists stimulate these reflex points by firmly messaging the areas where they are present. The pressure applied during washing your hair and the force applied on these points is comparable.
Way back in the 1930s, a noted chiropractor named Dr. Terrance Bennett ascertained locations or points, mostly on the head that appeared to have an influence on blood circulation to particular organs and body structures.
Using a fluoroscope (a mobile X-ray machine), and a radio-opaque dye, Dr. Bennett also observed the internal results of holding the points.
All these lead to a vital input to healthcare as well as his premature death due to radiation poisoning. The points discovered by Dr. Bennett later came to be known as the neuro-vascular holding points or neuro-vascular reflexes.
Dr. George Goodheart Jr., who founded applied kinesiology, discovered that particular muscles responded to just one reflex, while majority of the neuro-vascular reflexes had an effect on several muscles.
During the course of his research, Dr. Goodheart discovered that it was possible to enhance the response of the muscles by holding the neuro-vascular reflex points. He even found out that he might as well assess the response of the muscles by means of muscle testing.
The vascular (also known as circulatory) system denotes the bloodstream, which comprises the arteries that transport oxygen-laden blood from the heart to the different parts of the bodies, including the tissues, and the veins that transport the de-oxygenated blood to the heart.
In addition, the bloodstream also transports several vital nutrients as well as water to the cells and tissues, while distributing enzymes and hormones to the different organs.
It also transports the waste materials removed from the organs to the body parts from where they are excreted. At any given point of time, blood will gush to the area witnessing some activity.
As a result, when you exercise, blood flow to the muscles will increase and when your body is engaged in digesting the ingested foods, blood flow will be more to the organs that are active in the digestive process.
We generally lose control whenever we are under enormous pressure or are in a state of shock. In such situations, we tend to forget everything and are unable to think straight.
In addition, we also have a tendency to run into things and hit them blindly. Moreover, though we may get cuts and bruises, we do not seem to feel them.
In such conditions, even our vision becomes indistinct. In fact, all these happen because blood from the thinking area of the brain is drained out when we are under extreme pressure or in a shock.
Nevertheless, our nervous system can be alerted to focus on the dilemma as well as the emphasis on the blood circulation throughout the body can be restored by touch.
When we talk about touch we mean holding the neuro-vascular reflex points, which can restore our normal behaviour as well as blood circulation.
This can be achieved by promoting the blood circulation to particular muscles, specific areas in the brain, the different organs and glands.
In fact, it is possible to activate the neuro-vascular points by touching them very lightly. Therapists make use of their finger pads to contact these points, stretch the skin a little and hold the points in position.
The pressure applied to these neuro-vascular points with the pads of the fingers is exactly what one would apply to touch their eyelid with his/ her fingertips.
Therapists or chiropractors continue to hold these points till they feel a pulse having a stable or balanced beat. In kinesiology, this is known as a 'capillary pulse', very akin to the pulses described by acupuncture therapists.
In the instance of bilateral holding points, it is important to feel the pulse beats on both the sides and, subsequently synchronize them. The duration for which these points are held by the chiropractors may vary from anything between 20 seconds to about 10 minutes.
In fact, there are no fixed rules in this regard. It is important to bear in mind that every person is an individual and the time taken for every person to respond will not be the same.
When the chiropractors hold the neuro-vascular reflex points present on the forehead, which are related to emotional stress and the pectoralis major clavicular muscle, it will work to promote blood circulation to the brain's front part.
In addition, it will also turn on the region of the brain which is used by us while making decisions. This, in turn, helps in restoring the body's control.
It is possible for us to affect the energy, which runs all through our body via conduits known as meridians.
People in China were aware of the meridian system in our body and acupuncturists have been employing them for several thousand years to harmonize the various systems of our body and also maintain its equilibrium.
Basically, meridians are channels or conduits that transport the energy known as Qi or Chi (also called the "life Force' energy) in a steady flow throughout the body.
Altogether, 12 major meridians exist in our body and they are interrelated with one another. A new meridian begins close to the place where one meridian terminates in the body.
Moreover, each meridian remains connected with other meridians by means of short-connected channels. Currently, all these meridians have been outlined as well as traced by using radioactive dye.
The work done by Dr. Goodheart has helped to develop kinesiology into an effective contemporary therapy that has incorporated latest information to an ancient alternative treatment mode.
The conjugation of this ancient Chinese remedy and the Western anatomy as well as physiology was possible due to the discoveries of Dr. Goodheart, who found a direct association between the meridians and muscles.
He also discovered that specific muscles are connected to specific meridians. This relationship between the meridians and muscles followed the earlier developed hypothesis regarding the relationship of muscle organ or gland.
For instance, the fascia lata (a muscle) that is related to the large intestine (an organ) is sustained by the flow of energy in the meridian associated with the large intestine.
Chinese physicians as well as acupuncturists read the pulses on a person's wrist to find if there is any discrepancy in energy flow in the body.
On the other hand, in kinesiology, muscle testing is undertaken to detect the same imbalance in energy flow. The flow of energy in our body is harmonious; we do not suffer from any disease or health problems.
Since the time people began using acupuncture, it was believed to be a preventive medicine. Generally, people, who were well, would visit their physicians at regular intervals and the latter would work on them to sustain their good health by maintaining the energy flow in their body.
When people were ill, the physicians were not paid their fees, as people thought that doctor did not do his/ her job properly and the remedy did not work for them.
Even now, people would not have to suffer from major ailments if they continued to undergo regular treatments for their minor problems.
Regular treatment would not only help to prevent the build-up of major ailments or health conditions, but also ensure that one remained in his/ her optimal health.
As mentioned earlier, the flow of energy through the meridians is a continuous cyclic process. In fact, Chinese physicians begin their treatment with the Lung meridian (the meridian associated with the lungs), which is also known as the breath of life.
When the treatment shifts to the Stomach meridian, the Touch for Health begins its balancing cycle. In fact, two midline meridians - the Central meridian (also known as the Conception Vessel) and the Governing meridian meet at the place where the lips touch each other.
While the Central meridian passes from the front of our body to the base of the lip, the Governing meridian is found on the back of our body, running from the tail bone to the top lip, via the spine and over the head.
These two meridians are special as they serve as reserves and are linked to all other meridians in the body.
It is interesting to note that in the Chinese culture, all things, counting the meridians, are mainly classified as a yin (the negative or feminine force) or yang (the positive or male force).
Yin and yang are two contradictory forces of nature that complement one another.
The meridians classified under yin are related to the solid organs, such as the heart, kidneys, liver and spleen; while those regarded as yang are hollow organs, such as the stomach, gall bladder, lungs, intestines and the bladder.
While the force called yin flows in an upward direction from the earth, yang always flows downwards through the body. In order to remain healthy, these two opposing forces need to be in a perfect balance.
During the process of muscle testing, we also examine the meridians associated with them as well as the energy flow through those meridians.
Muscles that are weak or 'switched off' are an indication that the flow of energy through the meridian associated with it is poor or insufficient.
It is possible to stimulate or encourage the flow of energy through those meridians by tracing the pathways of those meridians in the right direction.
Meridian tracing involves the use of the external energy field of the therapist with a view to promote the energy flow through a particular meridian.
When you are tracing the pathways of a meridian, you need not necessarily touch the body, as it is possible to stimulate the energy flow through the meridian when you work approximately within two inches of the subject's body.
When the flow of energy is stimulated in the meridian, it also improves the energy supply to the organ associated with the meridian.
Therefore, the stomach's functioning improves when the therapist undertakes tracing the Stomach meridian, which begins just below the eyes and passes downwards through the front of our body to the toe next to the big toe (second toe).
There are several points on all the meridians and some of these points have particular functions. Kinesiology makes use of the acupuncture holding points on the meridians, which are associated with the Five Elements and traditional acupuncture.
When these particular points are stimulated, it either tonifies or sedates the energy flow through the meridian on which they are located.
Acupuncturists stimulate these points by accurately inserting needles at these points; on the other hand, in kinesiology, chiropractors cause a similar effect by just touching the points lightly with their finger pads.
To cover the entire acupuncture point, one needs to lightly place two or three fingers on the point.
In order to balance the energy flow using this technique, you require dealing with a total of four acupuncture points on the meridian.
Precisely speaking, two points are held at the same time, one point on the hand or arm, and the other point on the foot or lower portion of the leg. In other words, the energy is being passed between three meridians.
This can be compared to a situation where jump leads are used on a car while transmitting energy from one battery to another battery to get the engine going.
Subsequently, the chiropractor holds a second set of acupuncture points, with a view to 'shut' the gate behind the subject. While the first set of acupuncture points resulted in the opening of the channel, the second set shuts the flow of energy through the meridian.
Once you have opened the energy flow, it is important that you also switch it off after the proper energy flow to the meridian has been reinstated.
Although our head has a natural inclination to drop forward, it is held in a vertical position due to the tautness of the neck muscles. In other words, the tenseness sustained by these muscles holds the head straight.
This means that the neck muscles support a weight of anything between 10 to 12 pounds. However, when one falls asleep while he/ she is sitting, the muscles in the region of the neck relax and this causes the head to drop forward.
This sort of abrupt stretching out of the neck muscles activates the nerve or spindle cells in the spinal cord, which contracts resulting in lifting your head and waking you up all of a sudden.
There is no doubt that this kind of protective reflex action has helped to save the lives of numerous exhausted drivers and also livened up several listeners who were bored at lectures and workshops.
The spindle or nerve cells are found next to the muscle cells and they are connected all through the muscles and, therefore, they are able to monitor the muscle cell movements reflexively.
As a result any stretching of the muscles also results in the extension of the spindle cells. In case a muscle stretches excessively so much so that it may cause injury to the muscle, the spindle cells react by transmitting a signal to the muscle to tighten immediately.
This is another protective mechanism of our body, which is called the stretch reflex.
The muscle cells stretch when a doctor lightly strikes the ligament beneath the knee cap. The response of the spindle cells to this kind of unanticipated stretching of the muscle cells is actually aimed at protecting the muscle, which contracts almost immediately.
This action of the muscles in response to the activity of the spindle cells makes our keen jerk.
In fact, the hold-up between the tap below the knee cap and the knee jerk is actually an indication of the time taken for a nerve impulse to move about from the spindle cells to the spinal cord and to the muscle again.
However, the spindle cells will not react in a similar manner to muscle stretching provided the movement is not very abrupt.
Actually, we are able to learn plenty of things if we observe animal's vigilantly. For instance, you may watch a cat or a dog to stretch. These animals stretch impulsively and on their own accord - they never stretch their body too much or very quickly.
They naturally tune up the muscles that they are just set to use. However, the spindle cells may be activated if there are any fast and jerky movements, particularly if they are used during your exercise schedule.
In case you override this protective message from the spindle cells, which have instructed your muscles to tighten up, you may invite the risk of suffering tiny tears in the fibers of your muscle.
In turn, this kind of tears may result in the development of scratched tissues in the muscle and they may slowly lose their suppleness.
This condition may somewhat be compared to a situation where you put the hand brake of your car on for additional protection while parking.
The time you start your vehicle, you forget all about the hand brake and continue driving your car with the hand brake still pressed on.
The Golgi tendon organs (GTO) also form a part of our body's protective mechanism and possess the aptitude to sense if there is any change in muscle tension.
They are also nerve cells that are present at the muscle terminals and they are responsible to keeping the central nervous system (CNS) updated about the extent of the tautness of the muscles as well as protecting the muscles from too much strain.
In case the tension in a particular muscle is very high, they send a message to the muscle instructing it to restrain the muscle from tightening further, because this might result in damaged muscle fibres.
Kinesiology affects the spindle cells as well as the Golgi tendons by means of kindling them physically with the use of firm massage.
The therapist works at the muscle ends, where the muscles are connected to the bones through the Golgi tendon and also in the central part of the muscles to invigorate the spindle cells.
In kinesiology, this type of controlling pressure is employed in various different ways to correct the imbalances in the muscles. Dr. Goodheart's discoveries show that we are able to switch on or activate a muscle by massaging the muscle ends crossways.
In order to unwind a muscle that is much tensed, the therapist will place a hand on both the ends of the muscle and will massage in a way that will help these ends to pull apart.
When the muscle ends are massaged in this manner, it transmits a message to the muscles instructing them to loosen up and lengthen.
In fact, this kind of action may be extremely beneficial, especially while working with divergent muscles and when one of these muscles is extremely tense or tight. It is important to note that muscle groups usually work in sets of two or pairs - while one muscle contracts, the other muscle relaxes.
However, when the muscle group that ought to be loosening up or relaxing has begun being excessively taut, it may result in a one-sidedness in the muscle's movement and none of the muscles in that group will function as usual.
On the other hand, it is possible that a muscle may be excessively long and very loose. In order to restore its balance or correct the imbalance, you will have to place both your hands at both the ends of the muscles and force it in the direction of its center, sending it a message that it should contract.
It has been found that this technique as well as other methods, especially those that influence the proprioceptors (the sensory nerve endings that keep the body updated regarding the position as well as the movement of the muscles) is extremely useful for people who take part in sports and also do workouts.
All the muscles in our body have their individual nutritional support as well as neuro-vascular and neuro-lymphatic points. In addition, they are connected with meridians, organs and acupressure point (points on the meridians when the practitioner applies pressure).
Below is a detailed description of a particular muscle and the strengthening corrections associated with it.
The muscle found on the upper part of the chest is called the pectoralis major clavicular and it originates from the length of the collar bone and it is placed into the upper arm just underneath the shoulder.
The nutritional support of pectoralis major clavicular includes vitamin B present in wheat germ, whole grains, brewers' yeast and liver.
These are located on the body's front side, the left side and just underneath the breast (around the fifth and sixth rib) from the place of the breast bone to the body's side.
They are also found on the back flanked by the shoulder blades approximately mid-way downwards (to the fifth and sixth rib) on both sides of the spinal cord.
These are located in the middle of the forehead flanked between the hair line and the eyebrows. Neuro-vascular points are also the points from where the body releases emotional stress.
This includes the stomach meridian that begins from below the eyes and travels all the way to the face, further up on the side of the face to the forehead and then downward to the place over the eyes.
From there, the associate meridian goes further down to the neck, torso and the front part of the legs before terminating on the second toe, the toe adjacent to the big toe.
This meridian is found on either sides of the body and it is connected to the stomach - its associated organ.
