2. What is AK Developed by George Goodheart, DC in 1964 The clinical application of the study of movement and function Utilizes manual muscle testing as a measure of the central integrative state of the nervous system Muscle responses – inhibited, facilitated, over-facilitated Over-facilitated muscles are secondary manifestations of an inhibition of a synergistic or antagonistic muscle AK focuses on restoring proper function to the inhibited muscle
3. Concepts in Muscle Testing No need to overpower the patient Initiate the test with minimal pressure and increase pressure for 3 seconds Initiate the test at the same time as the patient Make sure the patient is not touching any part of their body Observe if the patient is attempting to recruit other muscles or holding their breath
4. Physiology of Adrenal Glands Secretes the following: Cortisol Aldosterone Androgens Epinephrine Norepinephrine
5. Symptoms of Adrenal Stress Fatigue Headaches Weakened immune system Irritability before meals Postural hypotension Inability to handle stress Salt or sugar cravings
6. Exam Findings of Adrenal Stress Ragland’s Sign – postural hypotension when BP drops 4-10 mm Hg when moving from supine to standing Arroyo’s sign – pupil dilates or fluctuates in size within 40 seconds of shining a light into it Rogoff’s Sign – tenderness at the ends of the 11th and 12th ribs Heart auscultation reveals increased S2 Bloodwork – decreased Na
7. Muscle Association Goodheart detected associations between muscle dysfunction with specific organ or gland dysfunction In the presence of adrenal stress, there will often be dysfunction of some or all of the following muscles: Sartorius Gracilis Gastrocnemius/Soleus Tibialis posterior
8. Treatment of Inhibited Muscle The following factors are assessed when treating the inhibited muscle: Nerve supply Lymphatics Blood vessels Acupuncture meridian connector Cerebral spinal fluid Nutrition Psychological stressors
9. Nutritional Testing The testing of nutrition as advocated by the International College of AK is limited to the tested substance stimulating the gustatory or olfactory nerve receptors, along with accurate and specific muscle testing Modified testing procedures should be eliminated – hand-held, laying it on the skin, etc Allows for assessing nutritional needs on an individual basis An adjunct to standard laboratory and physical diagnostic methods Should be re-evaluated throughout treatment Safe and efficient
10. Nutritional Testing Have the patient chew the substance to be tested then retest the muscle The influence on the body is the result of stimulating the gustatory and olfactory receptors Muscle testing results dictate whether or not the substance is appropriate for treatment Weak muscle strengthens with nutrition - appropriate Weak muscle remains weak with nutrition - inappropriate
11. Nutrition for Adrenal Glands Standard Process products Drenemin Drenetrophin PMG Dessicated Adrenal B5, B6, B9 Vitamin C, E Zinc EFAs
12. Patient Selection Can be used on any individual experiencing symptoms associated with adrenal stress
13. Earliest Examples with Goodheart Female, age 45 with hypothyroidism treated with 3 grains of thyroid daily but continued to have symptoms Consistently weak teres minor, the muscle associated with the thyroid After having the patient chew 1 grain rather than simply swallowing it, the muscle tested very strong Mechanism according to Goodheart - the parotid glands deiodinate substances we chew
14. Continued… Male with a headache after consuming tequila Weak pectoralis major sternal division, the muscle associated with the liver Goodheart had him chew a bile salt tablet combined with vitamin A Immediate increase in strength of the muscle Reduction in severity of headache
15. Research Supporting the Reliability of the Manual Muscle Test 31 patients with unilateral arm and/or neck pain examined by two experienced clinicians Tests compared – manual muscle testing, palpation, sensory testing, reflexes and upper limb neurodynamic tests Conclusion – manual muscle testing was found to have the highest kappa inter-tester reliability levels Schmid, et al 2009
16. Continued… Knee extension force of 50 patients was investigated using traditional manual muscle testing and hand-held dynamometry Results Both test scores were significantly correlated; suggests that the two procedures measure the same variable – strength However, percentage scores were significantly different, which suggests that the manual muscle test may overestimate the extent to which a patient is “normal” Bohannon 1986
17. Negative Research Kenney et al found no significant differences in manual muscle test response to placebo, nutrients previously determined to be deficient via muscle testing or nutrients previously determined to be adequate via muscle testing Staehle et al concluded that “the reliability of AK does not exceed random chance”
18. References Bohannon RW. (1986). Manual muscle test scores and dynamometer test scores of knee extension strength. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 67(6):390-2 Goodheart G. The story of Applied Kinesiology. 30th National Touch for Health Kinesiology Conference. 108-124 Kenney JJ, Clemens R & Forsythe KD. (1988). Applied kinesiology unreliable for assessing nutrient status. J Am Diet Assoc, 88(6):698-704 Montanaro C, DC. (2011) Professional Applied Kinesiology Certification Course: Lectures 1, 7. Schmid AB, Brunner F, Luomajoki H, Held U, Bachmann LM, Kunzer S & Coppieters MW. (2009). Reliability of clinical tests to evaluate nerve function and mechanosensitivity of the upper limb peripheral nervous system. BMC MusculoskeletDisord, 10(1):11 Staehle HJ, Koch MJ & Pioch T. (2008). Double-blind study on materials testing with Applied Kinesiology. J Den Research, 84(11):1066-9 Walther DS. Applied Kinesiology: Synopsis. 2nd ed. Pueblo, CO: Systems DC, 2000.
