What is it? Who does it? How will it help you?
Applied Kinesiology (AK) is a specialised Chiropractic technique that requires the appropriate qualification with further education and training to be able to use in clinical practice. This means that it is not performed in every single Chiropractic clinic. AK is thorough and like any practice, has many important and detailed concepts that need to be studied to fully understand and perform. Since AK is something, we proudly use here at Chirolink, we have given a small summary about it as well as some simple AK tips here and there to improve your quality of life.
As we all know, the nervous system is everything. It controls and regulates every single system within the body, and it can tell us a lot about the body’s overall health and functioning if assessed correctly. AK is a technique that can be used to better assess how your nervous system is functioning. This information is pieced together and applied to find the best solution for whatever your health concerns may be – musculoskeletal, visceral, or emotional.
It is well known that within the healthcare system, the biopsychosocial model is considered. AK has termed it the triad of health (structural, chemical, and psychological) and specifically and deliberately assesses each aspect carefully to precisely understand the clinical picture of the patient before us to treat the cause and not the symptoms. The triad of health is an ecosystem. They each work together intricately and need to be in equilibrium for optimal health. Having AK as a tool has allowed us to see several patients’ quality of life improve significantly.
Firstly, the structure is considered. This is anything influencing the joints, and muscles but other structures such as the organs or glands too. It is the structural framework of the body.
Then there is the chemical aspect. This is all about nutrition (or deficiencies), toxins or inflammatory cells, allergens, or pathogens (viruses or bacteria).
Lastly, mental/emotional, or psychological. More often than not, this is stress-related. No one can deny the physical manifestations of stress – be it high blood pressure or headaches and muscle spasms. Any prolonged stress, anxieties, or lows will affect the balance of the triad.
All three aspects work together and balance each other. A fallout in one will offset the balance and affect the other.
Now, surrounding this triad are the various key points of the body that are influencees of any ‘fall out’ affecting the equilibrium. These give us a very specific and accurate indicator of where the disease or dis-ease is lying. The influencees are the lymphatics, the nerves, the vasculature, and cerebrospinal fluid and we use very specific muscle tests that correlate to each to help us to help our patients effectively.
Muscle testing and AK go hand in hand just as muscle tonicity and neural function go hand in hand. This is an exceptionally important aspect of AK. We are not testing the strength of the muscle, but the nervous system’s control of the muscle function and its ability to adapt.
How do changes in health affect the ‘influencees’?
Since the entire body is an ecosystem within the triad, it will be with the ‘influencees’. Firstly, our CSF takes care of the central nervous system. The nerves and vasculature supply absolutely everything in the body and the lymphatics clear everything in the body. Without each of these, we would cease to exist. Because of this, they become very good at telling us when something is not right. Something as simple as fluid retention and fatigue is a message from our lymphatics telling us something is out of balance.
So what happens next?
After this thorough assessment, an appropriate treatment plan is followed. Treatment aims to balance the triad of the health ecosystem using simple and effective techniques such as visceral work and appropriate spinal adjustments.
What is one simple way I can help my own body?
It’s simple and so effective. You can stimulate the vagus nerve.
The human body has twelve pairs of cranial nerves (nerves that stem directly from the brain, and descend alongside the spinal cord to send and receive information to the various structures around the head and body). Each pair have very specific functions.
The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve. This nerve supplies autonomic functions (unconscious function) and is the main messenger between the gut and the brain. The vagus nerve controls digestion, breathing, heart rate, and even your immune system. It is one of the main nerves of the parasympathetic system (rest and digest) which is the opposite of the sympathetic (the well-known fight or flight – stress response). Since most of us lead stressful lives (which is mostly unavoidable) and run on consistently unhealthy levels of fight or flight, it is our responsibility to manage it and do our best to build resilience.
But how?
The vagus nerve has gained more ‘popularity’ or interest in the last while as stress management or coping techniques have slowly started becoming more of a priority in recent years and for a good reason.
- Breathing exercises.
- Box breathing – a deep breath filling the belly and not the chest (true diaphragmatic breathing) – to a count of four. Holding it in for five seconds and then exhaling for another five. This can be done eight to ten times and the more often in a day, the better.
- Humming or singing (It is also lots of fun).
- Practicing conscious and consistent gratitude (even three small things a day).
- Exercise
- Cold water exposure. This is for the brave, but the results are phenomenal. Be it a 30-second rinse with cold water at the end of your shower or immersing your hands in ice water – you will be so grateful.
- Practicing some form of meditation or prayer or time to simply switch off and be present.
- Healthy sleeping habits – going to bed early. (Early to bed, early to rise, makes us healthy, wealthy and wise)
- Eating well. This is not to say that you can never eat chocolate again. The important thing is balance. Nutrient-dense food that is also high in antioxidants is a must.
It’s the simple things. When these small things are done, consistently, the evidence demonstrates significant improvement in overall health. Achieving good health is not a one-time event, it is not a race, it is a life choice
What else can you do?
Book your AK session. See what it’s about and see the results. Your body and your health will be so grateful.