Understanding why a joint is painful can be a difficult challenge for doctors. The standard tests of feeling for tightness and tenderness, checking range of motion, and taking X-rays and MRIs are often inconclusive. These methods easily detect major issues but cannot see muscle imbalances and subtle misalignments of the bones. The result is that doctors cannot find a reason for the pain, so the treatment is medication, usually ibuprofen or naproxen, to manage the symptoms. This may be fine for short-term pain control over a couple of days, but it is a terrible long-term solution.
Here is where muscle testing comes in. Muscle testing in a specific way, called matched force testing, can almost always give additional important clues as to the underlying nature of the problem. Doctors who are trained in Applied Kinesiology can test dozens of muscles in the body and are able to find problems and gather information that is not easily attained with other tests. I have treated hundreds of patients over the decades who tell me, “I have been to many doctors for over 10 years and have tried everything.” I then test a muscle that moves the joint where they are having symptoms. I ask, “Has anyone ever done that?” The patient always says, “No!”
If a person is having joint pain, testing the muscles that move that joint is very important, yet few doctors know how to do this. Neurologists and physical therapists may test muscles, especially for shoulder issues, but they use a different form of muscle testing called maximum contraction testing. This is a valid test, and doctors who use Applied Kinesiology methods use this form of testing as well, but it is very different from matched force testing. If a muscle that moves a painful joint is weaker or tighter than it should be, then this is a problem. Not only is it a problem, but it is also diagnostic. Which muscles are weak or too tight gives us important clues as to why that joint has pain and what needs to be done to improve joint function.
As an example, a person starts having mild to moderate knee pain that occurred without trauma—or, as my patients often say, “I didn’t do anything”—but it is affecting how they walk or is simply painful. Imaging and orthopedic tests are negative. If a kinesiologist is seen, they will test the muscles that cross the knee joint. If the rectus femoris muscle is weak, we know that the tibia bone has misaligned in a particular way. Once that misalignment is corrected, the muscle will be immediately stronger. Here we get a double benefit: a stronger muscle and a better-aligned joint.
If another muscle in the knee, called the popliteus muscle, is weak, we know that this is due to the tibia bone having a totally different misalignment called a rotated tibia. There are about six different misalignments that commonly affect the knee. They can all be easily tested for and corrected in a visit or two and frequently result in significant or total pain reduction.
Now that we know which muscles and what type of misalignments are involved, we can tell the patient what activities to avoid, what exercises to start, and so on. We are not giving generic, one-size-fits-all advice. Because the testing can give such a precise diagnosis, we can give precise exercise advice.
When a muscle weakens, there are usually three or four possible reasons why that specific muscle became weak. For example, a weak tensor fascia lata muscle in the hip has about five different reasons for weakness, and the patient’s symptoms often tell the doctor which one is most likely. If knee pain is the issue, then this weakness points to laterality of the proximal tibia. If the patient has hip bursitis, then the issue is most likely excessive foot pronation, and 95% of the time foot orthotics will correct the problem and the patient’s hip pain. Lateral foot pain indicates misalignment of the cuboid bone. If a patient has bowel problems and this muscle is weak, then the issue is colon dysbiosis that can only be effectively treated with supplements. Lastly, especially if the patient is very physically active—for example, a runner—and has pain down the lateral side of the upper leg from hip to knee, there may be multiple issues: fascial restrictions, trigger points, proximal tibia laterality, lateral cuboid subluxation, and foot pronation.
As Applied Kinesiology has progressed over the years, it has been found that muscles can weaken with organ malfunction or nutrient deficiency. Ideal muscle function returns once the organ stress is resolved, usually with a dietary change, increased hydration, a nutritional supplement, or another intervention. AK testing is also extremely helpful for non-structural conditions that I treat daily in my practice, such as digestive problems, fatigue, and premenstrual syndrome.
One other thing: AK muscle testing using matched force testing is not strength testing, so how much or how little you work out will not affect the results. Accurate information can be gathered from frail patients and bodybuilders alike.