HEALTH & WELLNESS
APPLIED KINESIOLOGY JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED By Cecilia Ruane
he theory behind Applied Kinesiology (AK) is that all sorts of human maladies can be evaluated and diagnosed through the muscles. Proponents of AK believe that through the manipulation of different points on the body you can restore well-being, and the end result is stronger muscles. Chiropractors and other medical professionals sometimes use muscle testing in conjunction with conventional diagnostic techniques to isolate the causes of their patients’ ailments. We recently met with Dr. Robert Morrison, a Manhattan chiropractor, who enlightened us on what AK is and its many benefits. A native New Yorker, Dr. Morrison is the official chiropractor for the Broadway show, Hamilton. He is an international lecturer and author of Applied Kinesiology—Manual Muscle Testing, A Practical Guide. What exactly is Applied Kinesiology? AK is a system used by healthcare professionals that evaluates structural, emotional, and chemical aspects of health. AK practitioners use muscle testing and postural analysis to diagnose, and treatment involves elements of chiropractic, osteopathic cranial techniques, traditional Chinese medicine, and clinical nutrition. What has your experience been like using AK? As a chiropractor using AK since 2003, I’m continually amazed by the fact that the human body never lies. It will communicate what it needs and doesn’t need, so long as we ask the right questions in the right way. With this as a premise, AK can provide highly differentiated treatments, tailored to individual’s needs. Tell our readers when AK was first developed? During the mid-1960s, a Michigan chiropractor named Dr. George Goodheart sought ways of creating muscle balance to make his chiropractic adjustments hold. He started by using manual muscle testing to detect weak muscles but soon realized that he could also use muscle testing as a way of diagnosing more complex imbalances in the body. Goodheart described this method as using muscles as interpreters that translate information from the body to the practitioner. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Dr. Goodheart and colleagues gradually integrated core elements of different types of alternative medicine into this new system of diagnosis, and they called it Applied Kinesiology. Today, AK is practiced worldwide, and it evolves in parallel to our understanding of the immune system and neurophysiology. 68 | OUR CITY, YOUR LIFE | MAY 2018
Dr. Robert Morrison