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Based on the concept of internal energy
fundamental to traditional Chinese medicine, muscle testing is a
noninvasive way of evaluating the body’s imbalances and assessing its
needs. It involves testing the body’s responses when applying slight
pressure to a large muscle, to provide information on energy blockages,
nutritional deficiencies, and food sensitivities. It can also be used to
test the body’s responses to herbs and other remedies.
Muscle
testing is painless, noninvasive, and inexpensive. It provides a
wealth of data that may not be available even with expensive
equipment and laboratory testing.
Since
the 1960s, each branch of medicine has found uses for this “soft
technology.” For example:
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Chiropractors,
to pinpoint problems and to tell when the vertebrae are
correctly adjusted
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Medical
doctors, to test drug compatibility before giving a
prescription
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Herbalists,
to select the herbs which will be most beneficial in a given
situation
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Allergists,
to determine which molds, pollens, and other substances may be
causing allergic reactions
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Therapists,
to demonstrate the negative effects of certain music, lighting,
environmental or emotional stresses
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Nutritionists,
to detect subtle food sensitivities and determine which foods
should be eliminated from the diet
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Veterinarians,
through surrogate testing to diagnose and select the optimal
treatment
In
a typical example of muscle testing, the person being tested is
given an herb to hold (or a food, if testing for an allergy). The
practitioner presses down on the person's other arm and the opposite shoulder with
equal pressure (to facilitate balance). If the person needs the herb
or is not allergic to the food, the arm will remain strong
against the pressure. Otherwise, the arm will go weak. The same
procedure can be used to determine how often each herb should be
taken and how much each time. Muscle testing can
also be used to test the body’s responses to thoughts, sounds,
colors, and emotions.
Some
practitioners test with the person's arm straight
out to the side, which relates only to the lung meridian. Others use the central meridian for testing,
with the arm at an angle of about 30 degrees to the body and
slightly toward the front. All the
meridians intersect with the central meridian, so testing it
produces a more accurate response than testing just the lung
meridian and is less fatiguing for both parties.
Although
muscle testing is simple, answers will be incorrect if a person’s
energy is blocked. Testing the body’s polarity reveals whether
blockages are present. If so, they must be cleared before
proceeding. The same test is also used with each product, to make
sure the product doesn’t interfere with the body’s polarity.
This could, in time, cause a reaction. The selected products are
also tested as a group, because an individual product may test well
but, combined with others, could cause a reaction.
Muscle
testing is often referred to as applied kinesiology, although the
two are not the same. Applied kinesiology originated with the work
of Dr. George Goodheart, a chiropractor, in the sixties, based on
earlier work by others. Offshoots of this technique, referred to as
“specialized kinesiologies,” have also been developed. Perhaps
the best known is a program called Touch for Health (TFH), which was
created by a colleague of Goodheart’s, Dr. John Thie, and has been
taught worldwide. Muscle testing is a component of all these
practices.
Diamond,
John, M.D. Your Body Doesn’t Lie.
(Illustrated book on techniques of muscle testing)
Hawkins,
David, M.D. Power vs. Force.
(Discussion of philosophical issues arising from muscle testing and this
technique’s transformative potential for society)
Levy,
Susan, D.C. Your Body Can Talk.
(Illustrated book on techniques of muscle testing)
Shepard,
Stephen Paul. Healing Energies. (One of the first books on muscle
testing)
Thie,
John, D.C. Touch for Health.
(Illustrated book on techniques of muscle testing)
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