Anyone who has been treated by Dr. Lynelle McSweeney, a holistic chiropractor here in Reno, has likely experienced her unique form of muscle testing. It’s one of many tools she uses to identify causes of pain and discomfort. Despite some controversy surrounding muscle testing, or applied kinesiology, Dr. McSweeney’s form of muscle testing in Reno has proven to be very effective for her patients.
THE BENEFITS OF MUSCLE TESTING
Muscle testing is a manual tool used to help identify issues in organs or body systems that are contributing to problems elsewhere in the body. These issues might be dietary, nutritional deficiencies, nerve tissue damage, or chemical imbalances.
This realm of wellness has multiple techniques and titles, including:
- applied kinesiology
- contact reflex analysis
- indicator muscle testing
- strength testing
- meridian muscle testing
- manual muscle testing.
Both Dr. McSweeney and Dr. Allen use what they call muscle-to-nerve testing. It’s a mix of several techniques and involves testing electrical impulses to check the function of every major organ in the body. Usually, it’s as simple as checking the indicator muscle group in an extended arm, which means it’s both non-invasive and pain free. From the doctor’s perspective, this muscle-to-nerve test is a way of asking the body itself about the problem. And when it’s performed correctly, it is indeed effective. More than 100 clinical studies have verified it as a clinically useful tool. A recent study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience showed its efficacy for testing allergic responses as well, with a reported success rate of 90.5%.
Dr. McSweeney uses muscle-to-nerve testing to assess the current level of dysfunction or healing in the ever-evolving human body. This kind of testing can reveal an imbalance, with two or more muscles that aren’t working together as they should. This imbalance can impact communication between the brain and the nervous system. If you’re experiencing pain in the back, hip or knee, spinal issues, headaches, problems with the wrists and elbows, and a number of other conditions, Dr. McSweeney will use nerve-to-muscle testing among other diagnostic tools and techniques to identify which muscles aren’t properly communicating with the nerves. It’s the first step toward resolving the problem.
THE SKEPTIC PERSPECTIVE
As a technique, muscle testing assesses the contractile response of a particular muscle to get information about its current state. That information can offer insight into on sub-clinical factors that may be negatively impacting your health. But the practice has its share of skeptics, most likely because muscle testing provides information that tends to be beyond the scope of clinical reasoning. It’s understandable that some people find it hard to understand.
For Dr. McSweeney, muscle-to-nerve testing is just another tool to help her help you. Learn more about how muscle testing can benefit you — schedule a visit today.