By Alexa Pittenger

The study of muscle function and body mechanics is known as kinesiology. This research includes the art and science of muscle testing. Manual muscle testing is used to evaluate injuries…and much more.

Researchers recognized the nervous system’s role in muscle weakness. They found a weak/strong or “off/on” response when muscles were positioned and tested with slight pressure. In the 1960′s, Dr. George Goodheart developed a diagnostic and therapeutic protocol he named Applied Kinesiology. He suggested strengthening the “off response” muscle to maintain spinal adjustments.

Then in the 1970′s, Dr. John Thie realized the electrical nature of the flow of energy through muscles. He combined Oriental health disciplines and knowledge with muscle testing and popularized Applied Kinesiology under the name ‘Touch For Health’. Dr. Thie addressed the need of families and athletes to care for their minor aches and pains without the use of drugs. He also taught body, mind and spirit were a system or holistic unit.

In the 1980′s, Kinesiology evolved to include the study of our ‘felt” sense. All senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch) send electrical impulses to the brain. The brain then interprets this information. Our kinesthetic sense involves a series of chemical releases that create sensations which we “feel” and label (good, bad, angry).

When these sensations are not processed or expressed, they are stored in the body or subconscious as stuck energy. Stuck energy is another way to say “stress”. The Oriental health model has demonstrated that stuck energy contributes to the development of dis-ease, pain, fat, fatigue etc. The Western health model has shown stress to contribute to 90 – 95 % of illness.

Practitioners in the self-help field continued to experiment with muscle testing to access the body’s “knowing” or stored memories. The more practitioners applied the principles of Kinesiology, the more systems of healing based on kinesiology’s muscle testing emerged.

A few of the many systems includes: Three-in-One Concepts focused on stress and pain; Bio Kinesiology addressed nutritional needs; Brain Gym improved reading and learning; Resonance Kinesiology got people unstuck and healing happened.

Resonance Kinesiology combines the knowledge of how electromagnetic vibrations or frequencies work with muscle testing, expanding the body/mind/spirit system into the Unified Field.

The manual muscle test is a wonderful tool. It has enabled lay people to take responsibility for their health and wellness. But it is time consuming to perform.

There is exciting news. With the availability of high-speed computers and sophisticated mathematics, we are about to make a quantum leap in the promotion of health and wellness. Biofeedback therapies are now available that test for thousands of frequencies in only a few minutes and feedback more appropriate frequencies to the body/mind/spirit system. This way imbalances are identified before they manifest into the structural form we call our bodies.

If you would like more information about Kinesiology or Quantum Biofeedback, please contact Alexa Pittenger at Eureka Massage & Wellness Therapies – 479 253-9208 or Email