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When I was a very small boy I used to walk up and down my father's back. He had been injured by a severe blow to his spine many years before, and suffered from back pain and stiffness. When he came home from work in the evening he often used to lie down on the floor and ask my sister or me to massage his back. Being older and stronger, my sister used her hands, but I was much smaller so I would stand on him and work his back with my feet, as some masseurs do in Asia. As time passed and my sister went away to university, I took over the massage duties completely and by the age of about 11 or 12 my hands had developed a finely tuned sensitivity to the muscles of his neck and back. I could actually feel the tension spots where my father was hurting, and adjust my focus exactly.

This was the beginning of my journey into the healing arts and of my enduring fascination with techniques to ease physical, emotional and spiritual pain. Those early seeds were deeply sown and after taking a general science degree at the University of Manitoba I took a second degree at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, the founding school of chiropractic. Since receiving my Doctorate in Chiropractic I have continued to expand my knowledge by learning many different techniques, and studying with many great teachers from here to India.

Unlike medical doctors who learn pathology and biochemistry in depth, chiropractic doctors learn an immense amount about neurology and technique. The practice of chiropractic, which began in about 1895, deals with the structure of the human body, particularly the spine, and its relationship to the function of the nervous system. It looks at what interferes with the link between frame and function, it looks at what impedes energy flow. My fundamental education as a chiropractor taught me the science, art, and philosophy of treating conditions without using drugs. It also showed me the body's inherent desire and ability to survive and maintain balance with its environment.

On a physical level, the nervous system acts like a complex computer that receives, assembles, correlates, stores and processes information in accordance with a program. It is a major receiver, regulator, and transmitter of life forces to and from the body and is responsible for almost every function within it. There are numerous pathways and circuits along which "electricity" travels as it directs the hundreds of functions (or programs) operating in the body at any one time: everything from the regulation of blood pressure and blood sugar levels to the processes of digestion, circulation and thought. It is absolutely staggering to think how much our bodies do for us every single day - let alone in a year, or a lifetime.

Like any highly functioning system that has thousands of moving parts, wear and tear is inevitable and as the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Even the most highly sophisticated computer needs maintenance. Its circuits must be tested, adjusted and corrected by a skilled electrician who understands the blueprint or "schematic" of how the computer was constructed. Such an expert can run swiftly through these circuits, testing all the points in sequence, diagnosing trouble spots and repairing minor faults or "blown fuses" before they result in a systems crash. Not only does this ensure optimal system performance, but it is also cost effective.

Now, thanks to the recent discoveries of Applied Kinesiology and Specialized Kinesiology it is possible to do exactly the same thing on the human body, to run a diagnostic systems check of the nervous system. The body's circuits can be systematically tested and minor problems in function can be corrected before they become major concerns or chronic conditions. The potential savings in medical costs, not to mention human suffering, are staggering.

The roots of this new technique stretch back to 1964 when Michigan chiropractor Dr. George Goodheart discovered, and then began researching and developing the principles and practices of Applied Kinesiology. An eclectic blend of biofeedback, Chinese acupressure, emotional stress release, neuro-lymphatic massage and energy manipulation, Applied Kinesiology is a powerful natural therapy that can benefit anyone.

It treats the body as a complex machine and deals specifically with the link between the nervous system and the body's functions. It is an ideal, non-invasive wellness tool and, perhaps most importantly, it does not involve frequent or numerous spinal corrections as found in many of the mainstream chiropractic offices. It relies instead upon gentle rubbing or pressure upon specific points. The less force used, the more dramatic the results in most cases.

Recent research, as well as many ancient and time proven health methodologies such as acupuncture, have revealed that each organ in the body has a specific neurological connection to a corresponding muscle, spinal segment, acupuncture meridian, and set of lymphatic glands. For example, the liver is an organ that is largely responsible for filtering blood and keeping it as clean as possible. It has a neurological connection to the pectoral muscles on the front of the chest that move the arms. The spinal area that transmits nerve impulses between the brain and liver is found in the mid-back or mid-thoracic region. There are specific channels of energy flow - called meridians in acupuncture - and one of these affects liver function. There are glands in the body called lymphatic glands that act as a drainage system for the body, as well as carrying proteins, hormones and fats to all cells. Each organ has an energy connection to a specific lymphatic gland as well, hence the term neuro-lymphatic reflex.

All of the above mentioned act very much like circuit breakers or switches that can get turned off when the system is overloaded. When making corrections to the body's systems through Applied Kinesiology, all of these pathways must be checked to see if they are functioning properly. If not, they can be corrected so that energy has a clear conduit along which to transmit messages.

How is it possible to determine which "circuits" are functioning correctly? This is achieved through a process called "manual muscle testing" or "muscle response testing". It involves a doctor or therapist asking a patient to hold a particular muscle, their arm for instance, in a certain position. The therapist then applies a slight force to that muscle and the patient is asked to resist it.

This phenomenon often arouses skepticism in even the most open-minded but a simple demonstration is all it takes for a new client to become convinced of its authenticity. The technique works primarily on the human electrical field, so it really has to be experienced to be believed. What is even more intriguing, and gratifying, is that once the appropriate correction is done, the points can be retested and the muscle will show full strength. The term muscle testing is actually somewhat misleading for a therapist is not testing the strength of the muscle, but rather the integrity of the circuit in question. The muscle is merely the indicator, very much like the tiny light bulb that goes on or off in an electrician's circuit tester. The light going on or off does not tell you how to fix the problem, but simply that there is a break in and energy leak or block. Once an attempt is made at correcting the particular pathway, the test is repeated. If there is still weakness, the problem was not corrected. If it is strong, the pathway can be assumed to be corrected. However, to be really sure, one must be able to recheck the same circuit the following day, week, or month to be really sure that the correction was permanent.

Since the discovery of Applied Kinesiology (AK) and muscle testing in the mid-1960s, kinesiologists around the world have been correlating their findings and noticing intriguing patterns for scores of different health conditions. Patients suffering everything from stiff necks to poor bladder function and learning disabilities can now have their "circuits" checked and corrected - and be amazed to find overnight relief from long-standing chronic illnesses. Even more significantly, it is possible for kinesiologists to check the circuits of children and correct problems before they have developed into symptoms. All that is required is that the parents shift their paradigm of thinking from waiting until there is a problem or symptom to warrant taking their child to a doctor, to trusting that the doctor knows how to find the problem well in advance. This is the rational that many chiropractors and kinesiologists have when they suggest that their patients return regularly for check-ups or rebalances.

Now that is real preventative health care.

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