Applied kinesiology (AK) which is also know as muscle strength testing, is a method of diagnosis based on the belief that various muscles are linked to particular organs and glands, and that specific muscle weakness can signal distant internal problems such as nerve damage, reduced blood supply, chemical imbalances or other organ or gland problems. Practitioners contend that by correcting this mus
cle weakness, you can help heal a problem in the associated internal organ. What is applied kinesiology used for? Practitioners claim that applied kinesiology can be used to diagnose and treat nervous system problems, nutritional deficiencies or excesses, imbalances in the body's "energy pathways" (known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as meridians), and many other health concerns. The theory of AK was developed by George Goodheart, Jr., a Michigan chiropractor who began to write and lecture about his ideas in 1964. Applied kinesiology practitioners are often chiropractors, but may also be osteopathic physicians, dentists, or even conventional physicians. According to the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK), practitioners must first be trained in their respective fields before they can study applied kinesiology in a postgraduate setting. While suggested uses of AK range from abdominal pain to cancer, diabetes, headache, learning disabilities, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, vertigo and many other health problems, scientific evidence demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of AK for these conditions is limited, at best.
