AUTONOMIC RESPONSE TESTING
Muscle testing is a technique that utilizes the connection between your muscles and the nervous system. Your entire body generates an electromagnetic field (EMF) that can be useful in pinpointing certain kinds of problems. In autonomic response testing (ART), the tissue of an area of your body with a disease or malfunction has a different EMF than the rest of the body. A tester can use the strength of a test muscle to determine if a body area has a problem. It does not determine what the specific problem may be. The tester will establish that the test muscle is strong. Then different body areas are touched and the muscle is retested for weakness. A weak muscle test is indicative of a problem in that area of the body. Your history of symptoms, physical exam and lab tests will then help your doctor to determine the likely problem and the best treatment.
Other types of muscle testing use pressure over certain reflex points on the body to determine if a problem exists in an associated body organ. Experienced muscles testers have mapped out these points empirically. Muscle testing is really a variation on the standard physical exam. The doctor is involved in two-way communication with your body. Chiropractors frequently use muscle testing, as do other health professionals.
It is important that the patient give a strong and consistent response to each test. The idea is to hold the position, not to push back against the tester. Be careful to avoid shifting body position to recruit additional muscles in an attempt to gain more strength. Men are particularly prone to view muscle testing as a contest and will try to prevent the tester from moving the tested limb. On the other hand, do not try to anticipate the result and give a weak response. Simply concentrate on the limb and think “hold” as the test is done.
Another use of muscle testing is the interaction between a substance (food, supplement ormedication) and your body’s EMF. The principle is that holding a substance that has a neutral or beneficial effect on your body will keep the tested muscle strong. A substance that is harmful or causes a negative reaction in the body will test as a weak muscle. Scientific studies suggest this is a valid way to evaluate the use of different substances.
More elaborate systems of muscle testing have been developed other than ART but the underlying principles are the same. Repeat testing over time after you have followed a treatment plan will show if other body areas are now in need of a different treatment. Muscle testing is relatively easy to learn and has been taught to lay persons.
Daniel Blodgett MD