Chiropractic care is beneficial for overall health. Chiropractors work with the nervous system, which is the communication network between the brain and all the cells of the body. Chiropractors adjust spinal, pelvic and cranial misalignments (or subluxations) to help clients to achieve optimal health. There are many chiropractic techniques that assist the nervous system to function optimally and this leads to improved health. ‘Applied Kinesiology (AK) is a chiropractic technique that evaluates structural, chemical and emotional aspects of health using manual muscle testing with other standard methods of diagnosis’
(www.icak.com). AK was developed by an American chiropractor called Dr George Goodheart, Jr (1918-2008).
AK is based on the concept of the Triad of Health, which focuses on a combination of structural, biochemical and emotional factors that can affect health. When there is interference to the nervous system, any one of these areas can be disrupted leading to
dis-ease and ultimately disease in the body. A problem on one side of the triad can affect the other sides because all of the factors interact. AK evaluates where the dis-ease lies at any given time and then corrects the subluxation through a range of specific chiropractic adjustments.
AK is based on muscle testing. The reaction of the muscle is used as an indication of how the nervous system is functioning. When a muscle goes ‘weak’ after a specific stimulus is applied, it indicates that the nervous system is stressed. The Chiropractor will then determine what the specific stress is and will choose the best treatment to correct it. This reduces the stress on the nervous system, allowing the whole body to function optimally.
Correction of interference to the nervous system may involve specific spinal adjustments or joint mobilisations, myofacial work, cranial techniques, respiratory adjustments, meridian work, clinical nutrition, dietary management, counselling, identifying environmental irritants and various reflex procedures. Evaluation with the use of AK adds a new dimension to standard diagnostics and allows the chiropractor to look at the body as a whole system.
‘AK skills are developed and approved by the International College of Applied Kinesiology Board of Standards. These skills are refined from many disciplines including Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Medicine, Dentistry, Acupuncture, Biochemistry, Psychology, Homeopathy, and Naturopathy etc. Members of these professions share knowledge through the publications and conferences of the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK)’
(www.icak.com). AK is a postgraduate specialty training.
Written by: Sara Winchester, B.Sc(HM), M(Chiro), Dip (Sports
Chiro), Cert(AK). Cert (Webster)
