Alternative treatments like applied kinesiology and acupuncture can sound a bit strange when you first hear about them. But, with a little bit of research, you will start to understand the massive potential of these treatments. Do you have an injury that always flares up? Maybe your back hurts from sitting at a desk or always having to be on your feet? Applied kinesiology and acupuncture can make a massive difference in how you feel during the day, so you can live your most energetic life.
Used in combination with traditional methods, kinesiology and acupuncture can help to restore balance, ease stress and support overall health and wellbeing. By taking a holistic whole-body approach to health, you can pinpoint underlying issues, replenish the natural flow of energy throughout the body, and heal injuries, aches, and pains.
An Introduction to Applied Kinesiology
Not to be confused with kinesiology, which is the scientific study of human movement, applied kinesiology is a holistic treatment. Though this treatment also uses the study of human movement, applied kinesiology uses muscle monitoring or biofeedback to look at what causes imbalances in the body’s energy. These imbalances are then pinpointed and adjustment techniques are used to remove any blockages and start the healing process.
What is Kinesiology?
During an applied kinesiology treatment session, the practitioner tests the muscles in your body. Basically, it’s getting direct feedback from your muscles to let your practitioner know where the problems are. The technique is used in alternative medicine to pinpoint illnesses or the underlying cause of what might be causing you pain and choose treatments through testing weak muscles.
The aim of applied kinesiology is to restore balance to the body’s mental, chemical and physical structure. These factors combine together to form the “triad of health” The idea is that when a person is in ill health, at least one of these factors is to blame or even all three. By checking and analyzing these three factors, the practitioner can deliver the right treatments to heal the individual.
The non-invasive therapy can be used to treat a number of problems including nutritional deficiencies, nervous system problems and to help prevent and treat injuries, chronic pain, or even arthritis. Although an injury may present in one part of the body, the source of it may actually be in a completely different place.
By taking a holistic approach to healing, treating and preventing injuries, applied kinesiology looks to pinpoint the real problem and provide a solution. Treatment programs might involve myofascial therapies, specific joint manipulation, and various reflex procedures. Many chiropractors use applied kinesiology to determine the source of your pain before determining treatment.
The roots of acupuncture date back to ancient China and is one of the oldest treatments in the world. It can be traced back 4,000 years and is based on Oriental Medicine. An acupuncturist can assess the flow of energy in the body to promote natural healing and health. Acupuncture is one of the most well researched and documented alternative therapies.
Getting to Know Traditional Chinese Medicine
In the eyes of an acupuncturist, your health and sickness hinges on an energetic imbalance. They are then able to influence an individual’s health by stimulating certain areas or what’s called pressure points. These pressure points are also used in various forms of deep tissue massages to alleviate pain.
Originally only very thin needles were used along with a heating lamp, but today some additional forms of stimulation are sometimes incorporated such as magnets, herbs, and lasers. The aim of the treatment remains the same which is to adjust the vital energy so that the energy is distributed properly within the body.
This sounds terrifying in writing, but I’ve had many of these done before. The treatment is actually very gentle and the needles are so thin you can barely feel them when they put them in. It feels as though someone touched your arm with the tip of a pencil.
If you don’t believe me, I first received acupuncture treatment at the age of 11 when I injured my ankle in dance class. I hated pain, blood, and needles, but I was surprised that it didn’t hurt at all. On top of that with time the heating lamp actually makes your body relax and you feel 10x better afterwards. So, don’t let the fear of needles scare you away.
The treatment is virtually painless and involves inserting tiny needles into the surface of the skin at acupoints along the body’s meridians. A meridian is an ‘energy highway’ in the human body and can be mapped out. They flow within the body and each meridian has multiple acupuncture points along the way.
Acupuncture has been used to treat a number of health issues like migraines, PMS, fertility problems, back pain, allergic reactions, and high blood pressure. Research from a team of experts pooled the results of 29 studies from almost 18,000 participants. They found that overall acupuncture relieved pain by about 50%.
Restoring Balance in the Body with Applied Kinesiology and Acupuncture
Applied kinesiology and acupuncture share the same goal. Both alternative treatments work to remove blocks and stressors from the body in order to rebalance the flow of energy. By distributing the flow of energy back into the body, you can work to heal yourself from the inside out. You may want to use these treatments separately or in combination. This completely depends on what you’re looking for help with.
Whether you have an injury or suffer from chronic back pain, restoring the energy in your body can help to start the natural healing process. As kinesiology uses muscle monitoring or biofeedback, this therapy can go hand-in-hand with other treatments such as chiropractic and naturopathy. This helps therapists to collect biofeedback to create a personalized program and treatment plan.
Acupuncture is based on the philosophy that there are energetic pathways that are present in the body. It has a wide range of benefits and can be used to treat many disorders including emotional issues like anxiety and depression.
A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Pain investigated the effects of acupuncture on pain relief. Researchers confirmed and strengthened previous findings that acupuncture is clinically effective. The effects of acupuncture lasted for at least 12 months after receiving treatment.
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