Applied Kinesiology

Applied Kinesiology, often shortened to AK, uses manual muscle testing as part of an examination. At Cohn Health Institute, it belongs within the chiropractic and kinesiology department. The practitioner observes how a muscle responds to resistance and considers that response alongside your history and other examination findings. The purpose of the visit is to understand your concerns and decide which approach to care may fit them.

AK is an assessment approach, rather than the name of one adjustment. Understanding that distinction helps explain why two people who ask for Applied Kinesiology may have different appointments. One person wants help understanding a movement restriction. Another has several concerns to discuss with a practitioner who uses AK. The examination and recommendations should address the individual, rather than follow a treatment package chosen from a website.

What manual muscle testing involves

During a manual muscle test, a practitioner positions a limb and applies resistance while asking you to hold or move it. The International College of Applied Kinesiology describes testing from a contracted starting position against gradually increasing pressure. Practitioners observe whether the person maintains that position. The test concerns a particular response under particular conditions; it is not a measure of how much weight you can lift in a gym.

The testing position and the direction of resistance are part of the method. A practitioner is observing a response to a defined task, rather than asking for the person’s maximum effort through any available movement. Descriptions in the International College of Applied Kinesiology’s proceedings distinguish holding against an examiner’s pressure from moving against resistance. That helps explain why the practitioner gives instructions about where to place an arm or leg.

AK practitioners use terms such as “facilitated” and “inhibited” for the responses they observe. These terms describe performance during a test. They are not interchangeable with an everyday judgment that someone is generally strong or weak. A person who exercises regularly may still have a particular test response that the practitioner wants to assess further.

The Institute combines AK with standard methods of diagnosis. Muscle testing is therefore one part of its examination framework. The meaning of a finding depends on the clinical context and the other information available; a demonstration of a muscle test does not by itself establish the cause of a person’s symptoms.

The different areas considered in AK

The Institute describes Applied Kinesiology in terms of structural, chemical, and emotional aspects of health. These are the categories used in its approach to assessment. For a patient, the useful next question is what a particular finding means for the concern that brought you in. Ask the practitioner to explain that connection in ordinary language before you make decisions about care.

The structural category concerns the physical side of the assessment. Within the Institute’s department, chiropractic methods include non-force and light-touch approaches as well as traditional adjustments. Its service description says the practitioner chooses an approach after assessing the individual. AK can be part of that assessment without making every AK appointment the same kind of adjustment.

The chemical category belongs to the AK framework’s consideration of the body’s internal environment. The Institute’s practitioners have different areas of practice, including nutritional approaches. A discussion in that category needs to identify the specific concern and the basis for any recommendation. The category name alone does not amount to a diagnosis or prescribe a supplement.

The emotional category reflects AK’s inclusion of emotional health in its framework. This does not mean every physical concern is attributed to emotions. It identifies one area the practitioner may consider alongside the other parts of the examination. Where another technique is involved, such as Neuro Emotional Technique, it has its own method and explanation.

These three categories explain the breadth of the Institute’s description. They should not blur the distinction between an observation during muscle testing, an explanation of that observation, and a recommendation for care. These are separate steps. A useful explanation connects the observation, interpretation, and recommendation to the concern being assessed, so the patient understands why a particular finding matters to their care.

Testing and treatment are different steps

A muscle test gathers an observation; an adjustment or another recommended intervention is a treatment step. The distinction matters because AK is often described as though it were one procedure with a fixed sequence. Its testing method can be used within a broader appointment, while the treatment chosen depends on the practitioner’s assessment.

Professional AK literature also describes repeating tests after a challenge or intervention. A repeated test lets the examiner compare responses under the conditions used. It does not, on its own, describe how someone will feel later at work or during exercise. The office finding and the patient’s experience outside the office answer different questions, and both belong in a discussion of progress.

How AK fits with other care at the Institute

Applied Kinesiology appears among the approaches used by several Institute practitioners. Dr. Howard Cohn and Dr. Dakota Freeman include it in their work, as do Dr. Clayton Schumacher, Dr. George Gonzalez, and Dr. Tal Barnston. Dr. Christine Cohn also provides Applied Kinesiology. Their biographies explain their backgrounds and other areas of practice.

The chiropractic and kinesiology department describes the wider range of approaches available. This page focuses on manual muscle testing and the questions it raises. A department overview can help you compare services, while an individual consultation addresses what is appropriate for you.

Your first appointment

Describe your main concern and bring relevant information about previous evaluations. Ask what the practitioner observed, how it relates to your symptoms, and which findings support the proposed care. You can review paperwork through the patient portal or contact the office about choosing a practitioner.