Kinesiology is rapidly gaining in popularity as a powerful but gentle, holistic therapy that can be used in a wide variety of situations and for many different purposes. If you want to check out your allergies, get some help with stress or sort out health problems without drugs then a visit to a kinesiologist may be exactly what is needed. You may also experience kinesiology when your chiropractor is checking the best place to manipulate or when your aromatherapist checks for the most suitable oils to use for your massage.

George Goodheart, an American chiropractor, developed kinesiology in the 1960s. He used muscle-testing to evaluate the effectiveness of his treatments. In kinesiology gentle pressure is applied to a muscle and the response monitored. The normal muscle response is to lock. By placing a limb in a particular position it is possible effectively to isolate an individual muscle (often an arm muscle) and test its response to this pressure. If the muscle gives way or is spongy, it indicates an energy disturbance in the meridian system. The meridian system is an essential, but unseen, factor in health. It is responsible for conveying the life force to every tissue in the body. If this is disturbed in any way then ill health is likely to occur. So, the response of the muscle can give us vital information about energy disturbances within the body. If, for example, a muscle tests spongy or unlocks in the presence of a food it may mean that the person is allergic to that food. A stressful thought will also result in an unlocked response from an associated muscle. If the muscle unlocks after a verbal question is asked, it indicates a NO answer to that question: an "other than conscious" or "body wisdom" answer.

There are various branches of kinesiology (e.g. health kinesiology, aplied knesiology, educational kinesiology, classical kinesiology, etc.). All use the basic muscle-testing skills. Each kinesiology very much reflects the interests and personality of its developer. For example, applied kinesiology reflects its origin in chiropractic with its emphasis on correcting structural problems. Health kinesiology was developed by a psychologist with an interest in nutrition and electro-magnetic pollution. Some branches of kinesiology do not accept verbal muscle-testing, but rely on a system of reflex points and finger modes instead. Kinesiology techniques have also been incorporated into other therapies, so, for example, homeopaths, Bowen practitioners, chiropractors and aromatherapists may use muscle testing to confirm their judgement about the correct course of action.

During a typical kinesiology consultation the practitioner takes a case history and then the client lies (fully clothed) on a couch. The practitioner will test one or more muscles using gentle pressure. Depending on the response, the practitioner will then stimulate or sedate various acupuncture points. No needles are involved, but the points can be re-balanced using various techniques depending on the particular branch of kinesiology. Sometimes homeopathic remedies, magnets, crystals etc. are also placed on the body. Many kinesiologists will give advice on nutritional supplements, flower remedies, exercise programmes and life-style changes as well. No two sessions are alike even for people with apparently identical symptoms.

People consult a kinesiologist for a variety of reasons. They may be physically ill and want some help with their problems. Kinesiology has successfully treated people with a wide range of physical problems including eczema, asthma, migraine, arthritis, hay fever, allergies, M.E., menopausal problems, menstrual problems, tiredness, IBS, hyperactivity, etc. They may have been through a whole range of medical tests and have no diagnosis for their symptoms. They may be anxious to reduce their dependence on drugs. They may be emotionally distressed and want help with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, lack of self-confidence, etc. They may be an athlete seeking to enhance his or her performance, a mother worried about her childs poor school report, a businessman stressed by his work load, an accident victim suffering pain and emotional trauma or a person who cannot see the way forward. People from all walks of life find an answer within Kinesiology for their needs. They respond to a system which respects the bodys own inner knowledge about itself and its problems.

Sceptics sometimes believe it works because the client believes it does, but kinesiology works with small babies, the mentally handicapped, animals and the downright sceptical. One of the youngest clients I ever had was a baby who was 6 weeks old and was failing to thrive. In fact, she was losing weight because she was sick every time she was fed. Different feeds had been tried but without any success. The baby was brought to see me. She slept through the whole session, during which I established that she was allergic to the tap water that was used to mix the feed. This problem was quickly solved; the baby stopped being sick and started to gain weight much to everyones relief.

Sometimes a client will only need a single appointment for their problems, but more generally people need a series of appointments. Some clients recognise that Kinesiology can be used in a preventive manner rather than just dealing with problems when they arise. These clients will continue to have Kinesiology sessions in order to maintain their health and well-being.

Kinesiology can also be used as an emergency first aid. Earlier this year I took part in a sponsored bike ride in Cuba. As well as riding 250 miles I saw 14 clients fellow cyclists with knee injuries, back problems, headaches and infected insect bites. Many of the consultations took place in the dirt beside the road but almost everyone was pleased with the speedy results of their unfamiliar treatment. Two participants a GP and a pharmaceutical company sales rep had thought they would be unable to complete the ride because of knee injuries. They both found that after a short kinesiology session they were able to get back on their bikes and complete the ride.

Conventional medical professionals are also becoming interested in applying kinesiology in their own work. A Swiss doctor with some training in kinesiology told me that he always uses muscle-testing before prescribing an antibiotic to check if the patient will experience an allergic reaction to it. Since he has started doing this he has not had one single patient experiencing an adverse reaction to an antibiotic. If this simple procedure were widely implemented within medicine, it would save the NHS a huge amount in drugs and save patients many uncomfortable experiences of severe drug reactions.

Dentists too are beginning to find kinesiology a useful tool. Kinesiology can be used to check bite alignment after dental work, to establish the correct order for the removal of amalgam and even to establish which tooth needs to be filled. A friend told me how she had several teeth filled and numerous X-rays in order to remove her severe toothache. Nothing had worked, until I used muscle-testing to establish which was the problem tooth. She told her dentist about my findings and he agreed to look at that tooth, although he was not surprisingly sceptical that I could pinpoint the problem when his best endeavours had failed. Much to his surprise he found that I was correct and the painful problem was quickly resolved.

Modern developments are keeping kinesiologists busy too. Some years ago I helped a teenager with epilepsy. As a result of my work she became fit-free and was able to stop taking her drugs much to her delight and her consultants surprise. Recently she started having fits again. When she came to see me she told me she had experienced 7-10 fits in the previous week after being fit-free for over two years. I established through muscle-testing that having her tongue pierced two weeks before was largely to blame. Fortunately for her we were able to use some kinesiology procedures so that she could keep her tongue stud and become fit-free again.

When I started practising kinesiology in 1982 no one had heard of it, but now it is becoming more and more popular with articles in the press and interviews on television and the radio. The popularity of kinesiology is likely to grow as more and more clients and practitioners recognise its value. My hope for the future is that Kinesiology will become integrated into the main stream medical and educational systems, without losing its ability to generate powerful new techniques to help people become truly whole.

First published in the Green Life Directory