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What is Applied Kinesiology? Applied Kinesiology (AK) is a diagnostic tool that began in 1967, when Dr. George J. Goodheart, Jr., D.C. began evaluating his patients' muscles with manual testing. He obseved that muscles tested weak for no obvious reason like trama. His observations led to the original applied kinesiology technique of orign and insertion treatment which causes the apparent strengthing of a previously weak muscle. Applied Kinesiolgy muscle testing is used to determine the function of the nervous system with respect to the muscle being tested. It is not a strength contest. If a muscle tests weak it is said to be "conditionally inhibited", If a muscle test strong it is said to be "conditionally facilitated". If the conditions are changed then so will the muscle test. The Applied Kinesiology evaluation gives insite as to why muscles are testing weak ("conditioally inhibited"). Improper muscle function can and does lead to structural changes in gait (how a person walks and runs). These changes can lead to degenerative changes and pain. These are the reasons patients typically call the chiropractor. The interesting thing is the WHY the muscles are testing dysfuntional. There is a link between muscle function and organ dysfunction. A diagnosis is not based on a muscle test alone but it can be a heads - up on the possiblity of a problem. For example, a patient comes in with shoulder pain after working out in the gym. He says in he cannot keep the bench press bar level during his work out. During his AK evaluation his subscapularis muscle (a rotator cuff mucle) is testing weak on the involved side. In AK, the subscapularis muscle is related to the heart. He also has a history of heart disease. As you can see, along with signs and syptoms of the patient and a health history of a patient, muscle testing could be an indicator that the patient needs, nutritional changes, lifestyle changes or referrals to appropriate licensed practioners/physicians for further tests. The AK evalution gives a view as to what the underlying conditions are that led to the main complaint. With this knowlege appropriate individualized treatment can be given to the cause of the dysfunction, therby allowing the body to be the self - correcting mechanism God designed it to be.