Which Vertebra? Which Herb? Which Vitamin?

-Applied Kinesiology-
What It Is and What It Can Do For You.

 Tom Clunie D.C.

Applied kinesiology (AK), also called “muscle testing,” is the most major innovation in acupuncture in thousands of years. Forty years ago, chiropractor George Goodheart discovered that each organ in the body reflexes to specific muscles. If an organ is stressed, a corresponding muscle will commonly be in spasm, painful, or weak. For example, if the liver is under stress, the rhomboid muscles between the shoulder blades will often be achy and sore. Other reflexes include lungs to shoulders, intestines to thighs, colon to hamstrings, and kidneys to psoas. If you have chronic pain and discomfort in an area of your body, it is often due to an organ imbalance reflex to that area. This explains why chiropractic adjustments, massage, and the application of heat often provide only temporary relief. The underlying organ dysfunction must be addressed before permanent relief can occur.

To test the body using A.K., the patient lies on their back with their arms resting at their sides. I pull on one arm to test for strength, while instructing them to resist. Then, I have the patient touch the major meridian/alarm points of the body; for example, the immune system, the heart, liver, kidneys, and sexual organs. If there is a problem in one of these systems, the pulled arm will test weak. It’s as if the person is placing their hand over an electrical short.

Let’s say the liver tests weak. With the patient’s hand still on their liver, I place various remedies next to or on the person’s body until I identify a remedy that makes the arm test strong. Sometimes, more than one remedy is needed. I could speculate forever what the patient’s liver might need, but with A.K. I can ask the liver to tell me what it needs for healing. Everything has an energy field, and A.K. offers a way to tap into the wisdom of the body for answers. The liver commonly needs dandelion root or milk thistle; the kidneys often vote for nettle tea or uva ursi, and the immune system for Echinacea or bioflavonoids. So it goes for every organ in the body.

A.K. can also be used to determine, in a matter of seconds, which vertebrae are out of alignment and in which direction they should be adjusted. A.K. can be used instead of X-rays for most patients when diagnosing common misalignment problems. I can find out what foods a patient is allergic to, what supplements or medicines may doing them more harm than good, or what reflex points need stimulating to increase energy flow.

Once a woman came into my office with every symptom of heart disease: sternal pain upon exertion, pain running down her left arm, and irregular heartbeats. Yet her EKG was normal and her doctors were mystified. A.K. also said her heart meridian was fine; however, her small intestine meridian tested weak. I suspected she was eating or drinking something irritating to her body. After much questioning, she recalled that (like a lot of middle-aged women) in her desire to lose weight, she had upped her intake of sodas containing aspartame. Like many unsuspecting Americans, she was suffering from aspartame poisoning. Two weeks later, after months of “weird” symptoms, she was back to normal. A.K. has provided the tools to track down what was going on and what was needed to remedy the situation.

An older man came in with every joint in his body aching. His back was especially sore. A.K. revealed that his kidneys were quite stressed and that nettle tea would be helpful. Later, he told me his excruciating back pain started to diminish within three hours of commencing taking the tea. After a simple back adjustment and new water filter, he said he felt better than he had in years. Recently I met him on the street and his formerly gray complexion had turned into a youthful, ruddy glow.

Applied kinesiology can also be of great help to people experiencing emotional and mental difficulties. I once treated a woman who had severe physical and emotional problems. By the time I saw her she was going through the typical midlife changes and was almost completely incapacitated. Using A.K., I determined she was deficient in omega 3 oils, and I sent her home with a bottle.

Ten days later she returned to my office. She was ecstatic rather than her usually depressed state, and shouted, “They’re gone! They’re gone!” I asked her what was “gone,” and she replied, “The rages, the rages are gone!” She went on to describe how she was angry so much of the time that she had been arrested for causing disturbances at Safeway, in the Post Office, or just passing someone on the street. The slightest irritation would set her off into a full blown rage attack. Four years later, she is still taking the omega 3 oils and her quality of life is greatly increased.

There is much ongoing scientific research to corroborate and expand the understanding and use of Applied Kinesiology, but most of all, it must be experienced. Applied Kinesiology doesn’t provide the answers to everything, but it may provide answers for YOU!

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Tom Clunie’s office is located at 58 Talent Avenue, Talent, Oregon (in the same building as Star Properties, across from the Camelot Theatre). He can be reached at: 541-535-3369.