I had someone touch a spot on me and then test a muscle. It was weak. Then I held a bottle of pills and was told I needed them. Is that Applied Kinesiology?
This is one of the abuses of muscle testing. To tell if you need to take a supplement requires knowledge of your symptoms, examination for known physical signs of imbalances, a dietary history, possibly blood analysis and then the Applied Kinesiology examination can help to determine what is missing and should be supplemented.
What exactly is Applied Kinesiology?
Applied Kinesiology can be divided into two distinct parts.
One is an aid to diagnosis. Muscle testing is used help diagnose what is functioning abnormally. This can be a problem with the nervous system, the lymphatic drainage, the vascular supply to a muscle or organ, a nutritional excess or deficiency, a problem with the cranial-sacral - TMJ mechanism, an imbalance in the meridian system or a host of other problems. Testing individual muscles in an accurate manner and determining what effects the relative strength of the muscle when combined with knowledge of the basic mechanics and physiological functioning of the body helps to more accurately diagnose what is going wrong.
The second part of Applied Kinesiology involves the treatment phase. here, Dr. Goodheart and others in the International College of Applied Kinesiology have adapted different treatment methods to the problems that have been diagnosed. From nutrition to chiropractic manipulation to osteopathic cranial techniques to acupuncture - meridian therapies to myofascial techniques to nervous system coordination procedures to some of the latest theories in medicine involving control of the vascular and nervous system may be employed to balance the malfunction found in the patient.
Applied Kinesiology borrows from many different disciplines and through the use of accurate, scientific muscle testing, in addition to the basic knowledge of the practitioner, helps direct the care to exactly what the patient's needs are instead of what the practitioner does.
Are there courses on Applied Kinesiology and who can take them?
There are organized courses in Applied Kinesiology being taught in Europe, Canada, the United States and Australia. These classes are open to health care professionals and can be found at www.ICAK.com
Where is the International College of Applied Kinesiology and what is its history?
The College was founded in 1976 from a group of doctors who had been teaching classes. The purpose of the College is to promote research and teaching of Applied Kinesiology. It is composed of professionals with a common goal. There is no actual building but the organization is formed as others in the health care field to bring doctors together with common interests and goals. In the mid 1980's, the organization broke up into chapters representing Europe, Canada, Australasia and the United States.
Can anyone with minimal training do Applied Kinesiology?
No. You would no more trust a lay person to prescribe medications than to trust a non-professional to deal with your health problems. Applied Kinesiology muscle testing procedures are used to further investigate a patient's problem and depend upon a basic understanding of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and pathology. Muscle testing used alone without a proper education in the health sciences is no better than a psychic reading.
Who is George Goodheart, D. C. and what did he do?
Dr. Goodheart is the man who discovered the importance of weak muscles and their clinical implications. He started these discoveries in 1964 and has researched,lectured and written about them since.
How is SOT different than ordinary chiropractic?
SOT (Sacro Occipital Technique) is composed of highly accurate and effective clinical procedures . Dr. Major B. DeJarnette spent most of his life conducting clinical investigation into what works in chiropractic and what makes chiropractic work. Many of the experiments he first tried on himself so that he was aware of the results first hand. He also recruited others to be patients while he tested the procedures. By means of these repeated, peer-reviewed tests, he determined the true nature of the spinal subluxation* and how it could most efficiently be corrected. He also determined when the correction of the spinal subluxation was not enough and devised visceral manipulation procedures. Visceral procedures are used to help normalize organ function without the use of drugs or surgery.
SOT also recognizes the important role of normal cranial function in health and disease. The cranial bones and other cranial structures can cause central nervous system problems that are often overlooked or ignored by most other chiropractic systems.
*Spinal subluxation: A disorder of the spinal, pelvic or cranial bones which is interfering with, or prohibits the correction of, the secretion, fluctuation and absorption of cerebro spinal fluid.
Exactly what function of the body does SOT correct?
SOT concerns itself primarily with the cranial sacral respiratory mechanism. This is a wavelike oscillation in the covering of the brain and spinal cord. Although quite subtle, this motion is essential for the normal functioning of the brain and spinal cord, and thereby the rest of the nervous system and the rest of the body. It functions much like breathing air, in that it has a cyclic tightening and loosening phase. Ordinary respiration--breathing air in and out--also affects and can be used to normalize cranial sacral respiratory action. The normal function of the cranial sacral respiratory mechanism is recognized as a primary function of life in the body and must be normal if all functions of the body are to be normal.
Like other chiropractic techniques, SOT also corrects abnormal spinal mechanics and any associated nerve problems. These can include back pain, headaches, dizziness, arm and leg pains.
Through the use of Chiropractic Manipulative Reflex Techniques, your SOT practitioner can help normalize organ function in your body, including high blood pressure, digestive problems, urinary problems, toxicity, female reproductive dysfunction, etc. The list goes on and on.
Many head-related symptoms can also be treated by your SOT practitioner, including, but not limited to:
Vertigo
TMJ
Headache
Visual disturbances
Ear infections, etc.
Will it make the pain go away?
Getting rid of pain is important. At all times, during an SOT adjustment, the comfort of the patient is considered. But eliminating or killing the pain is not the main goal of a chiropractic SOT adjustment. The true goal of an adjustment, and particularly an SOT adjustment, is to normalize the function of the entire body. The central nervous system---the brain and spinal cord---is the avenue of approach. The brain and spinal cord are used for this purpose because all studies of the human body show that their function is the primary function of the body. They act to control all other functions of the body as well. So, normalization of this function is the primary goal. As this goal is obtained , the pain will go away. But elimination of pain is simply a side effect of normalizing the cranial sacral respiratory mechanism.
Will I have to keep coming back?
SOT is proven to obtain lasting results in a short time. These results are demonstrated as reduced pain and improved function in all parts of the body. A patient just starting with SOT care will often notice such a great improvement in a short time that they will feel they are completely healed. But with the precise diagnostic methods of SOT, problems in the body can be detected even though they are not causing pain. So it is a wise investment on the patient's part to stay with a program of care which detects problems before they start to hurt. The old saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin applies: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of Cure."
Is this a proven method?
SOT has been shown to be clinically effective in thousands of offices worldwide This method of health care is constantly improving and finding new proof of it's effectiveness. Many of the other chiropractic techniques use principles that were originally discovered and written by Dr. DeJarnette. The validity of Dr. DeJarnette's research is proven every day by the practice of these techniques. As specialists in Sacro Occipital Technic, the chiropractors listed on this website are trained in SOT and diligently apply all of their skill, knowledge, and judgment to every adjustment they give. Their effort is to apply SOT as Dr. DeJarnette developed it. This is the proven method and the one that is most often found to be effective.
Will it make me healthier?
Yes. Any SOT adjustment will improve the functioning of the body, which is health. This improvement may not be readily apparent to the doctor or the patient, but it is there. Since it is very difficult to predict what is going to happen with one's health, it is doubly difficult to say that a particular procedure prevented a bad occurrence in one's health. But, clinical experience and scientific investigation over the years have shown that SOT is in the forefront of those procedures which improve health.
Does SOT require nutritional changes?
Often. Any effort to restore health in this day and age on this planet requires improving nutritional intake. This is due to what is called "overconsumptive malnutrition." Our current food supply is structured in such a way that people eat a lot of empty calories. So, specific nutritional supplements and changes are usually necessary.
Does the adjustment cause pain in my body?
No. SOT works to a great extent by specifically positioning the body to use the weight of the body to correct the body. This occurs because of an interaction between the specific position the body is in and the motion of the body caused by normal breathing. Many times the patient will feel very relaxed during the adjustment and even take a nap. There is some pain when specific points of correction are located. This is more like a "good pain" than a "bad pain" and serves mostly to let the doctor and patient know that a point needing correction has been found.
Is there a chance of being hurt by the SOT adjustment?
The chance of injury during any chiropractic adjustment is very, very small. Recent research has shown the likelihood to be less than one in 6,000,000 Most of the injuries which have occurred have involved the neck and happened during non-SOT visits.
The average chiropractor pays about $1,000 to $2,000 per year for malpractice insurance. A medical doctor can pay $1,000 per week for malpractice insurance. This gives an accurate indication of the relative danger involved.
SOT is good for thee, so get thee in if you want to be: Healthy
What are the serious health conditions and the leading predispositions of illness?
Heart Disease 30% Tobacco 18.1%
Cancer 23% Poor Diet/Physical Inactivity 16.6%
Stroke 7% Alcohol consumption 3.5%
Chronic lower respiratory disease 5% Microbial agents
(e.g., influenza, pneumonia) 3.1%
Unintentional Injuries 4% Toxic agents
(e.g., pollutants, asbestos) 2.3%
Diabetes 3% Motor-vehicles 1.8%
Pneumonia/influenza 3% Firearms 1.2%
Alzheimer's disease 2% Sexual behavior 0.8%
Kidney disease 2% Illicit drug use 0.7%
*Miniño AM, Arias E, Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Smith BL. Deaths: final data for 2000. National Vital Statistics Reports 2002; 50(15):1–120.
†Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000. JAMA. 2004;291(10):1238-1246.
WHAT % OF WOMEN ARE ON A DIET?
About half of all women are on a diet, far more than the number who are overweight.
From the book "Women's Health Alert" by Sydney Wolfe, M.D., Rhoda Donkin Jones and the Public Citizen Health Research Group
WHAT % OF WOMEN WHO ARE ON BIRTH CONTROL PILLS ARE ON TO STRONG OF A DOSE? WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF THIS?
13 million American women are using the birth control pill with more than 100,000 getting a pill which is too strong. Millions are unaware of the new studies linking long term use of the pill to an increased risk of breast cancer in women under the age of 45. From the book "Women's Health Alert" by Sydney Wolfe, M.D., Rhoda Donkin Jones and the Public Citizen Health Research Group
HOW MANY WOMEN HAVE HAD A HYSTERECTOMY? WHAT % OF THESE OPERATIONS WERE NEEDED?
20 million American women have had a hysterectomy, with 600,000 new ones each year. At that rate, one in three women will lose their uteruses by age 60 with more than a quarter of these operations unnecessary. From the book "Women's Health Alert" by Sydney Wolfe, M.D., Rhoda Donkin Jones and the Public Citizen Health Research Group
WHAT % OF WOMEN ARE ON THERAPY TO PREVENT OSTEOPEROSIS OR HEART DISEASE? IS THIS ALWAYS NEEDED? WHAT ARE THE DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS OF THESE THERAPIES?
At least 10 million postmenopausal American women have been prescribed long term hormone replacement therapy to prevent osteoporosis or heart disease, even though many of these women are not at high risk for either of these diseases. Many women are unaware of the increasingly clear evidence that long term use of these drugs causes a 50-100 percent increase in breast cancer.
From the book "Women's Health Alert" by Sydney Wolfe, M.D., Rhoda Donkin Jones and the Public Citizen Health Research Group
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