Hello all
From the In Focus series on complementary therapies, Yoshbosh asked about kinesiology. This was quite a while ago so my apologies to Yoshbosh and anyone else who was waiting on the information. I'm always happy to go away and research things for you so please do let me know anything you want to know about and I promise to be more speedy in future!
This has been a voyage of discovery for me too as I knew nothing about kinesiology, but from what I've found out, here is some information which I hope is helpful.
There are many different types of kinesiology so this is just to offer very broad, introductory information. Regardless of the approach, a reputable kinesiologist will not diagnose illness or offer cures.
Similarly to the approaches mentioned in the post on energetic therapies, kinesiology works from the traditional Chinese medicine premise that energy runs through the body along meridians which relate to different parts of the body. Kinesiology combines this with chiropractic techniques to test muscles. If a muscle tests as ‘weak’, this is thought to highlight an energy imbalance. Kinesiologists aim to unblock the energy flow to restore balance, and through that, aim to promote physical and psychological wellbeing.
You remain fully clothed and lying or sitting for a session. Interventions that a kinesiologist might use include acupressure/massage/manipulation of certain parts of the body; changes to diet; suggesting supplements; using flower essences; mind exercises such as visualisation.
It is always a good idea to let your medical team know of any complementary approaches you are taking so they can advise of precautions and possible interactions with treatment.
Research and evidence for kinesiology is limited. There is a useful article here which highlights some studies: theconversation.com/muscle-... For those of you wanting to look into the research in more detail there is a list of research into Applied Kinesiology on the NICE website here: evidence.nhs.uk/search?q=Ap...
Health Kinesiology UK regulates health kinesiologists in the UK and has a register of practitioners on their website here: hk-uk.co.uk/locations/ They also have a YouTube channel here which gives an idea of some of the techniques used: youtube.com/playlist?list=P...
If any of you have experienced kinesiology, please do share your experiences in the comments below.
Best wishes
Anna
Ovacome Support Service Manager