Applied Kinesiology & Fairies
The SCAM diagnostic test, Applied Kinesiology, is when the quack pushes on your arm while a substance is held near you. If the arm is weak, then that item is causing your illness. It is used by naturopaths, chiropractors, herbalists and others who practice health fraud. Some even have their assistant hold your hand and then push on the assistant's arm to test YOUR health.One supporter of this diagnostic test was saying that it was being unreasonable to declare this as quackery without taking the time to test it myself. Not trying it myself was "unscientific". She also reminded me that I could not prove that Applied Kinesiology does not work.
I responded to the challenge by asking her to prove that fairies don't exist, reminding her to do this herself and to check under every toadstool to avoid missing the one where they live. It is almost impossible to prove a negative.
With a BBQ coming up soon, I may test Applied Kinesiology with some friends. If nothing else, it will be good for a laugh. What's not so funny, is that quacks use this test and then charge for a corresponding bogus cure to unsuspecting people with illnesses.
More on Applied Kinesiology can be found at http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/ak.html
To join the fight against health fraud, or just become better educated to avoid being a victim, check www.ncafh.com or in Australia www.acahf.org.au .
posted by Kevin Paine @ 9:11 pm
32 Comments:
Applied kinesiolgy may not work for you, but i have experienced may positive effects. Applied kinesiology is much, much more than holding a substance in your hand and muscle testing, as a matter of fact that type of testing is not used at all in true applied kinesiology. That kind testing is the result of many different people mixing in their own way to test. You should do some more research on applied kinesiology before you pass judgement.
I work with an Applied Kinesiologist so I was interested to find out more about his practice. Yesterday at a fair he was asking for volunteers so I did.
I was not impressed with his manipulations to find weak muscles. I did not mention to the crowd of people that it was a total scam, however I will never refer an individual to him or any other AP.
its good to be skeptical, but dont be so ignorant. the man who created applied kinesiology has volumes of theory and research. what you described is not his work, just someone claiming to use his techniques. dont act like you know what your talking about when you dont
Applied Kinesilogy has been proven to be bogus by medical studies, see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3372923
and this one done by a Chiropractic college http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8006528
I think you're wise to be skeptical. I have done extensive research on this matter and have yet to find a shred of compelling evidence to the efficacy of this technique. Quite the opposite. Subjects with known allergies to bee venom were tested in a double blind study using one container of bee venom and another container of saline (placebo). Even the most experienced examiners were not accurate in their assessment of which substance posed a threat to the patient's health. And that's just one example. Interrater agreement is tragically low in most cases and even when it exceeds 50%, it is not strong enough for statistical significance.
Applied kinesiologists and those who have been duped by this scam will always have a comeback. They will claim that legitimate scientific journals blindly reject alternative medicine even when the results are compelling (this is not true). They will claim that the researchers conducting the experiments debunking AK simply did not understand the procedure. They will spout off well rehearsed quasi-scientific explanations of the autonomic nervous system, which would make any legitimate neuroscientist laugh.
It is true that certain nerve pathways in the body are connected. But the dermatomes that extend the length of the arm only include the cervical nerves. The vital organs are connected to the spinal cord via the thoracic dermatomes and have no interaction with nerves running through the arms or legs.
As far as "energy" from a substance being capable of permeating glass and activating the human autonomic nervous system... Well, one would just have to take that on faith. Even if this metaphysical process were indeed true, it would be unlikely to manifest itself as muscle strength or weakness.
It's true that some individuals experience a placebo effect from AK, but that's where it ends. I don't think you are ignorant at ALL. I'm quite sure that AK advocates will come along and rip my comment to shreds, and I can't entirely blame them. The training for AK is nothing more than a weekend "intensive" during which Scientology based persuasion techniques are utilized to sway even highly intelligent individuals who signed up for the class with lofty intentions of becoming miracle workers.
Stand your ground and don't fall for the scam!
For anyone in doubt and assuming this individual is an expert of any kind please the the time to read Forbidden Medicine. JImmy Keller was also proclaimed a quack.
Just because some don't beleive in something does not mean it doesn't work. Alays research and judge for yourself.
AP may sound like a scam, however, if you do try to recreate the same exact test on someone else yourself you will see that there is some truth to it.
It's convncing because you yourself know no "tricks" or sleight of hand to make these tests work, they just do. I don't really understand it all, but it has something to do with frequencies, electrical currents, etc.
I am a total skeptic about things, yet AP gives great results for me. I didn't think for one minute it would even work, so it isn't that "I thought it would work, so it did...".
You can even perform these same test and see which foods rob you of energy, then avoid those foods, and voila, you have much more energy!
Just because Western Medicine doesn't approve of a certain diagnostic test or simple treatment doesn't mean it doesn't work. Remember, the FDA is lobbied by pharmaceutical companies...
If oriental medicine/techniques don't work, why are Orientals usually healthier and live longer as oppesed to us that are Westernized?
a perfectly healthy human body heals itself. if this is true than it flaws the medical system in every way. the medical system seems to just be a way to surpress the symptoms. i would love to see one medical procedure or drug that has the power to completely eliminate the cause of a symptom without introducing a new one. there is more to life than science. there is nothing sterile about a human body. it is magic. science cannot create life it can only re-arrange it. that goes for applied kinesiology. no matter how bogus it seems to be. the very people who practice it are one sided and resolved on the matter. natural medicine is simply beyond their own capacity to trust what the human body is capable of. you can argue all you want. at the end of the day if your child was dying you would try everything and make a gut call. if you just stuck to medicine then you shouldn't be a parent in the first place. theres more to life than needing to "know how to fix it" you are breaking it in the process.
Nicole, you're an idiot.
sorry someone posted above about drugs only surpressing sytoms and the body cures itself? Well asma inhalers prevent attacks, anti-biotics saved my life not my body. There arre many things drugs cure your body doesnt. All STIs for example.
Being a physical therapist we are between modern medicine and alternative medicine. You need to find the best of both. Applied Kinesiology can be very dangerous. Especially for someone like me who has allergies. I went to a Chiropractor who was recommended by a friend who performed the Kinesiology muscle testing for my allergies. Even though he was off on a lot of the things I was and wasnt allergic to ( I know this because I have been skin and blood allergy test multiple times without discrepancies)I took the supplement he prescribed to help the allergies. I had such a bad allergic reaction to it I almost ended up in the ER. And he had tested it with my body and told me it would not be a problem. Alternative medicine can be great such as fish oil for cardiac and joint problems/ cranberries for urinary tract infections/ cherries for gout etc. But keep in mind a lot of Countries use alternative medicine like Africa with little success against things like Malaria which kills millions of people annual. So be cautious with both Modern and Alternative medicine and do your research.
dont be so ignorant. If you know nothing about applied kinesiology, or any other holistic health, don't scream that it is not working. Are you Kevin a MD, or PHD in any science? in anything? did you even finish high school?
And why all of you skeptics so fast on calling people names, and being mean, supposed you did your research from people that are ignorant in the matter just like you, why are all anonymous in your comments....
I first went for muscles testing in the 80's when I was a child when the system and my mother was trying to work out what was wrong me with me seeing as NO western doctor could work out what was wrong with...I was lactose and sugar intolerant said the quack. I stopped both and guess what I wasn't ill every morning anymore and guess what my moods from the sugar stopped. As a 32 year old who has maybe gone to a western doctor twice in my life, will be going back for muscle testing even after research into other intolerance methods...for intolerances there isn't much..prick is for allergies...so how can it be quackery if the doctor diagnosed it perfectly? And yes fairies exist...come hang out, I'll show you!
Lately it seems that the doctors can't even diagnose let alone fix problems anymore! In desperation we've found our greatest answers and help from a chiropractor and a kinesiologist. And we spend a WHOLE lot less money going to them and on their suggested remedies (which they DON'T insist we buy from them)
It's been interesting to learn of MDs and pharmacists who've embraced the "other side" because they know of all of the corruption in the conventional medical community. Also I have a relative who's been teaching "pre-med" students. He finally quit teaching them because most of them fail their exams, yet he's required to pass these students because their sponsors donate large sums of money to the school. Doctors used to help people, they don't anymore, they just rob them as much as they can before they kill them.
I've been going to a certified AK specialist with no previous presumptions about it's effectiveness. I was very curious and gave it every opportunity to enlighten me. For four weeks I've been tested once a week, and have whole heartedly done all that the specialist has asked. Here is my take on this practice at this point: Ridiculous and absurd. There was a lot of good things that were prescribed that I do like removing sugars from my diet, and eating very healthy. However, the practice of the "muscle testing" is so counter intuitive to any real science we have today on the body that I am ending my little "experiment". I have no doubt that many people do report success through their AK testing and diagnosis, but to think that these methods have any scientific basis whatsoever is sheer lunacy. Do not waste your money unless you are just simply curious like I was. All studies that have been done on AK by science have not even found anecdotal evidence that there is any validity in the application of AK testing or diagnosis. If you're an AK professional and you're reading this: You're swindling people out of money and you should feel ashamed. Sound nutritional advice is great and people do benefit from it, of course. However AK 'muscle testing' is a joke, and my little experiment has proven this to me. I'm going to tell my story to as many as possible, and hopefully put a dent in the perception that AK is anything but foolishness.
Applied Kinesiology works as long as the therapist using it is balanced. I have seen very accurate testing as well as poor testing. As in any field, you have your top 10% of practiioners and your bottom 10%, while the rest lie somewhere in the middle.
If you are not open to the idea, find your path somewhere else, but don't spread false information about something that has worked for tens of thousands of people. Read The Mind Game, a great book written by a medical doctor- as it may shed some light on your misconception of complementary/alternative vs. medical treatments.
Applied Kinesiology seems like it works to me! First, I was healed after trying so many doctors (Western medicine/traditional doctors) who all failed to figure it out or help get me better in any way. I'm better now though, thanks to a chiropractor who used this hocus pocus on me.
Second, I've met countless others who were failed by Western medicine and saved by this type of method along with the right holistic fixes, including people who were cured of chronic sickness, Fibromyalga, back problems, migranes, etc.
Lastly I'll give you one example that seems to big of a coincidence. Muscle testing showed I had a liver fluke parasite problem. I went to a different doctor who measured, with a special instrument that measures electromagnetic frequencies, then who diagnosed me with the exact same thing. That is when I became a believer and listened to the chiropractor, used his Applied Kin methods, and eventually got healed!
I really appreciate it, I visit more often for updates, keep up the great work!
You can't be healed by energy techniques if you refuse them. Be open to new things and you will realize there are many amazing things in this world. You must be willing to accept it!
I feel sorry for those people who only believe in western medicine and there are a LOT of them!! Look around at how large, lazy, and sick American's are!!! Look at how ready people are to believe someone with a medical degree!! Eat what you want, lay around and watch tv and play video games and let someone else do your thinking for you. We reap exactly what we sow!! We live in a I deserve this society!!
Ok, but how did you know it was a scam? FYI...I am a geneticist and I don't have any comment on these bracelets. But, as a scientist, I expect reasoning behind statements such as yours.
Applied Kinesiology is as genuine as three dollar bills printed on toilet paper.
My sister unfortunately sought "aid" in alternative medicine (a friend of her's made the suggestion) and went to an MD who practices applied kinesiology. The doctor claimed that my sister had a severe thyroid imbalance, was suffering from toxins (mercury and lead) and this was causing her lethargy and listlesness.
This so-called doctor prescribed a thyroid med, armour thyroid which was 100 times greater in strenght compared to her lose dose synthroid. My sister was also given a bevy of "detox" potions and herbs. $$$$
I made sure my sister did not consume any of the herbs, liquids or the armour thyroid before seeing her regular doctor.
I researched applied kinesiology discovering what a scam it is and had my sister see her regular gp.
Having blood work taken, my sister's regular doctor lowered her thyroid med, synthroid, dosage because she has such a minor thyroid disorder; also, there we NO toxic heavy metals found in my sister's blood either. Her liver is fine, kidney function is normal.
My sister did mention the armour thyroid to her regular doctor and he said that dosage she was given by the quack applied kinesiologist could've caused my sister to have heart palpatations, seziures or even lapse into a coma or death at such a high dosage! He also wanted to know who this medical doctor is using these dangerous, bogus techniques.
Anyone who believes in this crap lives in a fantasy realm. It's no different than some con artist claiming to "heal you" with "energy healing" or some crackpot "psychics" that'll claim to "read you."
Wake up people. If science can't prove something, then it doesn't exist.
This article is retarded. You have no idea what you're talking about. Pulling down on someone's arm is NOT Applied Kinesiology. Interesting also that you do not quote the scientific studies that prove that it works- you decide a priori that it's quackery and portray it to be so by quoting only what is convenient to you. I have seen a lot of bogus AK practicioners out there. And I have seen the real AK masters and believe me, they know way more than any MD who's not a Dept. chair.
I've been using one for last 2 years was skeptical at first but really helped with severe depression and alleviated food and pollen allergies. Find a good one. Life is so much better now I'm unmedicated and with a clear mind
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Have yet to find this technique for Dx or Tx legitimate. PubMed search does not really come up with any supporting studies.
When you are throwing up and cannot stop or your head is sick with fluids, in fact try any illness. Let a experience Kinesiologist adjust your electrical currents with this method you call a scam. My family has used a Kinesiologist for years. His methods are the only thing that helped my young daughter. His applied kinesiology methods are awesome. This is also know as Body Talk. Think about it. We are made of electrical currents. These currents are knocked off there connection when we are sick. Connecting these currents causes our body to heal its self.
You have much to learn about the human body. It is amazing and given little credit for how perfectly we are made. Our environment and our lifestyle affects our frequencies or our electrical currents. Please take time to research.
In order to practice Applied Kinesiology you need to have an under graduate degree that allows you the license to diagnose, i.e.Dr. Dentist, etc. - Western Medicine!
These are the people you (skeptics) trust and defend, and they are the same practioners who offer AK techniques, they are professionals who believe that both western medicine and eastern techniques are beneficial for their patients. So you can't separate one from the other?
Looking forward to reading the Forbidden Medicine book, as I am understanding more and more that the pharmacuetical industry is the money making scam.
I consider myself openminded, but sceptical. I went to someone who also use this type of kinesiology and didn't know what to expect. This lady brought information up that she couldn't possibly have made up. I'm convinced that it does work, but there are people who have only a little understanding and experience who advertise their services and they do more harm than good.
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