Applied kinesiology (AK)-

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Category: Medical system, also known as "muscle strength testing"

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Description:   This is a rather bizarre concept initiated in 1964 by George J. Goodheart Jr. a chiropractor that died in 2008 at the age of 90.  He believed every organ dysfunction is accompanied by a specific muscle weakness, that allows diseases to be diagnosed through muscle-testing procedures.  AK proponents claim nutritional deficiencies, allergies, adverse reactions to foods claim that by having place the offending substance on the tongue or sometimes simply held in the hand, the muscles are tested and a diagnosis is made. According to a 1987 book about AK, "The practicing AK is a graduate chiropractor who can explain to you how your glands and organs appear to be functioning with specific muscle tests. He can suggest nutrition to help improve various conditions, and he can demonstrate with your muscles that you probably need particular nutrients. He can correct problems in your spine and in joints, and can stretch or compress muscles to improve your structural condition. He may massage certain junctures of nerve, lymph, blood, and acupuncture meridians to stimulate glandular or systemic activity. He can advise you on how to stay healthy and he will pay particular attention to your posture and your feet. He can offer an excellent second opinion if you are under a physician's care, are seeing a chiropractor who is not an applied kinesiologist, or if you have been in an accident".  One AK text states "If a patient is diagnosed as having a liver disturbance and the associated pectoralis major [chest muscle] tests weak, have the patient chew a substance that may help the liver, such as vitamin A. If . . . the vitamin A is appropriate treatment, the muscle will test strong."  The founder of AK stated in a textbook: Goodheart states that AK techniques can also be used to evaluate nerve, vascular, and lymphatic systems; the body's nutritional state; the flow of "energy" along "acupuncture meridians"; and "cerebro spinal fluid function." The 70-page chapter on "meridian therapy" in a leading AK textbook advises that subluxations influence the status of meridian system and vice versa."

 

Most often AK is used by chiropractors but also naturopaths, dentists, physical therapists, massage therapists, etc.   Note: kinesiology is the study of movement and is a validated physiology construct.  Applied kinesiology on the other hand is a belief system, not grounded in science.

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History: In 1964, Goodheart claimed to have corrected a patient's chronic winged scapula by pressing on nodules found near the origin and insertion of the involved serratus anterior muscle. This finding led to the origin and insertion treatment, the first method developed in AK. Successive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures were developed for neurolymphatic reflexes, neurovascular reflexes and cerebrospinal fluid flow from ideas originally described by Frank Chapman, D.O., Terrence J. Bennett, D.C., and William G. Sutherland, D.O., respectively. Later, influenced by the writings of Felix Mann, M.D., Goodheart incorporated acupuncture meridian therapy into the AK system. Additionally, the vertebral challenge method and therapy localization technique, both based on phenomena proposed by L. L. Truscott, D.C., were added to the AK system. 

 

Touted uses:  

The American Cancer Society and American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology stated concerns over the lack of diagnostic validity of applied kinesiology.  Painbytes Assessment: Two thumbs down- the technique does not acknowledge human anatomy or physiology, and diagnostics using this technique has the potential to result in misdiagnosis.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_kinesiology

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Training: Training is available from a number of sources including online training (www.appliedkinesiologyonline.com) or from a number of other sources (www.ikti.org, www.icakusa.org, naturalhealers.com, kinesiologyinstitute.com)

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LEVELS OF EVIDENCE:

BETA LEVEL: 

-AK is statistically not valid and is unreliable as a diagnostic tool. "The research published by the Applied Kinesiology field itself is not to be relied upon, and in the experimental studies that do meet accepted standards of science, Applied Kinesiology has not demonstrated that it is a useful or reliable diagnostic tool upon which health decisions can be based. (Explore (NY). 2014 Mar-Apr;10(2):99-108.).

-In a double blind study, AK was no better than chance at material selection and diagnostics (J Dent Res. 2005 Nov;84(11):1066-9.)

The lack of evidence AK in diagnosis of adverse reactions to foods is outlined in J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018 Mar - Apr;6(2):362-365 and Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2018 Feb;38(1):153-163.  When AK is disentangled from standard orthopedic muscle testing, the few studies evaluating unique AK procedures either refute or cannot support the validity of AK procedures as diagnostic tests (Chiropr Osteopat. 2007 Aug 23;15:11). 

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Samuel Homola, D.C. states in Chirobase.org that "Applied kinesiology is a pseudoscientific method of testing muscle strength to detect the presence of disease, vitamin deficiencies, and other problems that supposedly can be treated with spinal adjustments, supplements, acupuncture and other methods.  AK advocates claim that every ailment or organ dysfunction is accompanied by weakness in specific muscles.  Well designed studies have failed to demonstrate any value in this method of diagnosis, which is appropriately considered to be a form of fraud.  I recommend against using any chiropractor who claims to diagnose problems throughout the body by testing the strength of the arms. The systems that rely on this test are potentially dangerous because they use misinformation to guide patients away from appropriate medical care."

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RECOMMENDATION: Avoid.  Lack of scientific proof, failure of multiple controlled trials to demonstrate anything other than random results.