Applied Kinesiology uses the body's own feedback — through muscle response — to identify imbalances and guide treatment. It is a remarkably direct form of communication with the body's intelligence, bypassing assumptions and listening to what the body itself indicates it needs.
What is Applied Kinesiology?
Applied Kinesiology (AK) — also commonly known as muscle testing — is a diagnostic and therapeutic approach that uses the response of muscles as a biofeedback tool. The foundational insight behind AK is that the muscles of the body are not isolated mechanical structures; they are intimately connected to the nervous system, the organ systems, and the body's energetic pathways. When the body is balanced and well, muscles test as strong and responsive. When there is an imbalance — structural, biochemical, emotional, or energetic — specific muscles will weaken in a measurable way.
Applied Kinesiology was developed in the 1960s by American chiropractor Dr. George Goodheart, who discovered that specific muscles correspond to specific organs and meridians. By systematically testing these muscles, a practitioner can build a detailed picture of what is out of balance in the body — and then apply corrective techniques to restore that balance.
How Does Muscle Testing Work?
A typical muscle test involves the practitioner asking the client to hold a limb or body part in a specific position and resist gentle pressure. The practitioner then applies light, steady pressure to that limb and observes whether the muscle holds firm or gives way.
This is not a test of physical strength. The pressure involved is gentle — this is not about whether someone is "strong" or "weak" in a gym sense. Rather, the test is assessing the neurological integrity of the muscle-organ-meridian circuit. A muscle that tests weak under light pressure is giving the practitioner important information: that the circuit associated with that muscle is not functioning optimally at this time.
The practitioner can also use muscle testing to test the body's response to specific substances, thoughts, or treatments — asking the body, in effect, whether a particular input strengthens or weakens its overall balance. This makes AK not only a diagnostic tool but a guide for choosing the most appropriate therapeutic approach for each individual.
The Connection to Chinese Medicine
One of the most significant contributions of Applied Kinesiology is its integration of the meridian system from Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western anatomical and neurological knowledge. Dr. Goodheart mapped specific muscles to specific meridians, creating a muscle-meridian-organ correspondence chart that practitioners use to interpret what muscle tests are revealing about the state of the body's energy pathways.
This means that applied kinesiology can identify not just structural or muscular imbalances, but disturbances in the flow of chi (life force energy) through the meridians — connecting the precise anatomical language of Western medicine with the energetic map of Chinese medicine. This integration makes AK a uniquely comprehensive diagnostic tool.
Applications and Scope
Applied Kinesiology can be used to assess and address a wide range of concerns, including:
- Structural and postural imbalances
- Nutritional deficiencies and food sensitivities
- Organ system stress and dysfunction
- Meridian and energy imbalances
- Emotional patterns held in the body
- The appropriateness of specific supplements, remedies, or interventions
AK is used as both a stand-alone assessment method and as an integrated component of other therapeutic approaches — including Allergy Antidotes®, Health Kinesiology, and Touch for Health. It adds a layer of precision and personalization to any treatment, ensuring that the interventions selected are ones that the body itself is indicating it needs.
Applied Kinesiology at Health Within
Applied Kinesiology and muscle testing are offered by Denise Arsenault at Health Within Holistic Centre. Denise incorporates muscle testing into a range of her treatment modalities, using it to guide and refine sessions and to help identify the most effective path to healing for each individual client.
If you are curious about what your body might be trying to tell you, muscle testing can be a fascinating and revealing place to start.