Applied Kinesiology (AK) uses manual muscle testing for the assessment of both local injuries and as feedback from the nervous system as a whole. The premise of AK muscle testing is based on the assessment of the quality of the muscle response and not the actual amount of pounds that can be moved by that muscle. It is an evaluation of the nervous system that is controlling the muscle rather than an evaluation of the power of that muscle.
Dr. Phil Maffetone, former president of the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK) states, “Essentially, any change in a patient’s physiological state will ultimately be reflected in the cortex, cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord, and these changes can be monitored at the level of the anterior horn cells in the spinal cord through appropriate manual muscle testing.”
The concept of “strong” or “weak” muscles is really a misnomer. The terms “facilitated” or “inhibited” are the proper classifications, but for convenience we still use the common descriptive words. When a muscle is “strong” it is met with resistance from the patient and the muscle feels “locked” to the muscle tester when additional pressure is applied. When a muscle is “weak” the resistance from the patient is easily broken and feels mushy or unstable to the tester. Using manual muscle testing functionally evaluates the nervous system and allows us to assess changes to the central integrative state of the anterior horn motor neurons in the spinal cord. In other works, we are able to get immediate feedback on the body’s functional inbalances and what specific treatment is necessary to restore these inbalances. The main concept and what the tester is looking for is change. Whether a muscle tests “strong” or “weak” is not as important of a question as “Does it change?” The tester might do some type of evaluation to the patient or have the patient make a change, such as a joint position or eye motion, and then retest the muscle and evaluate the change. This is how the AK physician uses muscle testing to assess a patient and reveal a picture of balance and imbalance in the individual’s body to get a glimpse of priority in treatment modalities.
