Muscle Testing - A Bio-feedback Technique for Assessment

Muscle Testing is a neuro-muscular response test utilised in Kinesiology that offers one of the most effective methods of assessment available in natural health care today. It is applied as a bio-feedback mechanism into the mind and body to establish whether an internal or external substance, food, situation, memory, activity, psycho-emotional aspect, past or present creates dysfunction and imbalance and is then used to select the techniques that encourages optimum health.

Muscle Testing is also known as muscle monitoring, energy testing, muscle response tesing or muscle sensitivity testing and is one of the universal tools used in Kinesiology and the principal method of assessment, it is the use of muscle testing that distinguishes Kinesiology form all other therapies.

Muscle Testing uses the binary biofeedback, locked/unlocked response. This allows the Kinesiologist to tap into the body's sophisticated communication system to gather information ascertaining and revealing the precise location and nature of imbalances and also determines the preferable technique for treatment.

The Unique Advantages of Muscle Testing:

Uses the body systems to determine what is needed, taking the guesswork out of what and how to treat by allowing the body to reveal the location and nature of imbalances.

Gives instantaneous feedback about what is needed for healing to occur, without having to wait to find out whether treatment is appropriate.

Gains information about the body's response to any stimulus, internal or external. For example foods, chemicals, environmental factors, mental and emotional states, attitudes, behaviours, addictions, etc.

Offers distinctive and very useful advantages in that it also gives both Kinesiologist and client immediate feedback as to whether the treatment has been effective. Retesting the assessment after treatment not only tells the Kinesiologist how effective the treatment is but also informs the client a change has taken place.

Detects imbalances before they develop into symptoms so problems are corrected at their source, therefore being the ultimate preventative health care system available today.

In a Kinesiology assessment, muscle testing is applied to find out how well the body is functioning in various aspects - structural, physical, chemical, emotional, mental, electrical and neurological, using specific acu-points, reflex points, muscles in contraction or extension by using the limbs of the body and specific statements to access information.

The method of testing an indicator muscle from contraction to extension is the same throughout all branches of Kinesiology. The muscle is put into contraction while the client is asked to hold that position while the Kinesiologist applies light pressure, about 1kg or less, for about two seconds in the direction that will best isolate the muscle. If the limb moves or feels spongy under light pressure, it indicates an unlocked response; if it holds steady under light pressure, it is locked.

Generally speaking, if the muscle being tested locks, the nervous system can cope simultaneously with the muscle test and the additional, non-stressful stimulus. If, however, the muscle being tested unlocks, this creates a momentary disorganisation in the nervous system, which cannot cope with the stressful stimulus being tested, causing imbalance in the client's system. The brain prioritises the stress and as a result, the indicator muscle instantly unlocks.

*Accurate muscle testing is an art, and an accredited professional Kinesiologist should always be sought for assessment and treatment.