Muscle Testing Basics
Muscle testing, also known as applied kinesiology (although unrelated to kinesiology) is a diagnostic procedure sometimes used in alternative medicine. It is based on the idea that the body has an innate energy field and built-in internal knowledge of its own health. In muscle testing, the health care practitioner "asks" the patient's body questions by physically pressing on it. He then draws conclusions about what health problems the patient is facing by the way the body responds. Although muscle testing has not been shown to be effective in scientific double-blind experiments, it still retains tremendous popularity in the alternative and complementary medicine community.
Finding the Disease
Muscle testing procedures can vary, but in general the health practitioner has the subject hold out his arm and try to resist as the practitioner pushes down with moderate force on the arm or wrist. If the patient resists vigorously, it is seen as a positive sign and if he only weakly resists, it is seen as a negative one. If the doctor is trying to determine what parts of a patient's body are ill, he might touch one particular spot immediately before or while pressing. Alternately, he might touch an acupuncture point that corresponds to a certain organ or health issue. If the patient does not resist strongly, the practitioner concludes that the particular body part or acupuncture point is a factor in the patient's illness.
Finding the Cure
Muscle testing is also used to detect allergies and prescribe treatments. If the patient is being tested for an allergy, she will hold a bottle or container with a sample of an allergen in the hand not being pushed on. If she is unable to resist the healthcare provider's push, she is allergic to it. If the practitioner is trying to decide on which herb or medicine to prescribe, he will put a sample of one medicine and then the other in the patient's hand. If the medicine is right for the patient, she will resist strongly when the doctor pushes (or so the theory goes.)
Tags: acupuncture point, might touch, Muscle Testing, Muscle testing also, patient body
