An old saying is that knowledge is useless until applied. In developing applied kinesiology (AK), Dr. George Goodheart's genius has been a unique ability to "re-search" basic academic knowledge and convert seemingly unrelated tidbits of information into workable clinical technique. As a keen student of phenomenology, and with what seems to be encyclopedic recall, his skills of observation are reflected in his oft-quoted credo of "Why is that?" His talent for refining clinical concepts has led him to extract and assimilate ideas from the fields of chiropractic, osteopathy, allopathic medicine, dentistry, and others. From this wide variety of resources, he has often salvaged what others have discarded as insignificant or inapplicable. If it was useful, it was incorporated into the eclectic tool bag of Applied Kinesiology.
Preparation met opportunity in 1980, when Goodheart became the first chiropractor appointed to the U.S. Olympic medical staff at the Lake Placid Winter games. This appointment was undoubtedly enhanced by his successful recovery of then Olympic medical director, Irving Dardik, MD, who was suffering a persistent leg symptom while running. Subsequently, while working with the downhill skiers at Lake Placid, Goodheart observed a specific muscle failure pattern that developed during a competitor's tuck position, resulting in an obvious performance slump for the athlete. As an avid and accomplished skier himself, Goodheart's familiarity with the sport allowed him to ferret out the problem. The concept of aerobic muscle weakness, a decrease in muscle endurance with repetitive contraction, was then discovered and researched. The positive chiropractic exposure during these games helped pave the way for chiropractic inclusion at future Olympics.
During its history, Applied Kinesiology has met with skepticism in some academic circles, with critics often revealing only a partial understanding of Applied Kinesiology protocol. Nevertheless, the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICApplied Kinesiology) continues to expand research and teaching activities, with one of the largest attendances at their recent annual meeting in California. In addition, there have been cooperative ventures planned with other chiropractic organizations, including the Sacro-Occipital Research Society International (SORSI), which has furthered the works of Dr. DeJarnette, founder of Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT). The ICApplied Kinesiology also maintains a Sports and Exercise Committee and recently developed a separate teaching syllabus on Applied Kinesiology in sports.
Dr. Daniel Duffy Sr., one of Goodheart's first students, believes that the Applied Kinesiology practitioner must develop and maintain a new way of thinking, often outside the familiar comforts of mainstream opinion. Duffy uses the term "incommensurable" to describe the loss of familiar reference when one is introduced to Applied Kinesiology diagnosis. This novel quality of Applied Kinesiology as a diagnostic application was recognized by the developer of trigger point therapy, Janet Travell, MD, who served as White House physician under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. After observing Goodheart's demonstration on a patient while he and Travell shared a lecture platform, Travell stated that, "Applied Kinesiology is a new system of diagnosis." Indeed, this newness requires the Applied Kinesiology initiate to abandon some rote collegiate textbook ideas about patient care.
Without this paradigm shift in thought, it is often difficult to explain, for example, the relationship of a first rib fixation to the inhibition of foot dorsiflexion when a quarterback throws a football. In Applied Kinesiology, a distinct inhibition pattern of the foot dorsiflexors has been observed, when the head is rotated toward a first rib fixation. Without knowledge of the underlying mechanisms, which are clinically demonstrable, someone introduced to Applied Kinesiology may feel bewildered in correlating this new concept with the old idea of, "How is that possible?" This author was asked by an ACA sports diplomate, how "pushing on something down here could affect something way up there." It was incommensurable with his current knowledge. An early example of a similar paradigm shift was the use of TMJ bite splints (night-guards) to enhance the performance of world-class cyclists. A novel idea when introduced, it is now more widely accepted that dental malocclusion has a marked effect on somatic and visceral function.
In a sports setting, two distinct diagnostic advantages for the Applied Kinesiology doctor are therapy localization (TL) and challenge technique, two of Goodheart's greatest contributions to the advancement of conservative care. The very first Applied Kinesiology students in the early 1970s can attest to the improved proficiency of examination when these two tools arrived on the scene. Therapy localization -- having a patient touch a suspected area of involvement during a muscle test -- can rapidly pinpoint the dysfunctional tissues or joints involved. In a complicated injury, this assists the doctor in prioritizing care, eliminating wasted time and effort. For example, serious knee injury in an athlete may eventually influence foot and pelvic function. In addition to standard orthopedic evaluation, Applied Kinesiology diagnosis considers remote causal factors such as jaw and cranial reflexes, acupuncture meridian imbalances, and even visceral reflexes that can impede full recovery of athletic performance. Again, the tool of therapy localization can assess the "closed kinematic chain" to isolate which chain links are involved and determine the order of treatment.
The challenge mechanism is the second indispensable tool in the sports setting. The structural challenge is commonly associated with a manual muscle test to determine the appropriate vector for joint manipulation. It determines the need for a manipulative technique and also verifies the success or failure of the application, satisfying the clichéd adage of knowing "when and when not to adjust." Also employed for soft tissue methods, the challenge technique provides immediate feedback that confirms correction. In sports nutrition, the lingual challenge can complement standardized laboratory evaluation to determine appropriate dietary supplementation.
The contributions to the field of clinical nutrition by Goodheart are substantial, and the benefits reaped by the athlete are overwhelming. The aerobic pattern discovered in 1980 on the Olympic skier was correlated with iron and essential fatty acid deficiency, which were keys in resolving the pattern. The lingual challenge is also useful for elucidating any substances that may be hindering performance, including food allergens, common substance abuses, toxic effects of NSAIDS, artificial food additives such as aspartame, and "natural" performance enhancers that may actually be detrimental. The psychology of sports performance can also be accessed utilizing various Applied Kinesiology procedures, such as Bennett's reflexes, approaches for goal-setting, and curbing self-sabotage through psychological reversal techniques.
Soft tissue applications are the mainstay in many acute and chronic sports injuries. Goodheart has sped soft tissue injury diagnosis by differentiating the procedures involved for soft tissue treatment. The clinical decision to treat trigger points in distinct fashions, via Travell spray 'n' stretch, Jones strain/counterstrain (positional release therapy), and the more recent Fulford percussion methods, can now be quickly ascertained through Applied Kinesiology means, thus eliminating haphazard guessing. There is no better analysis for the human structure than the discipline of chiropractic, and no more refined analysis of that structure in movement, than applied kinesiology. The concept of functional neurology has been coined to explain the muscle test as reaction to a wide variety of noxious stimuli to the nervous system. In essence, the applied kinesiologist has the ability to assess the entire structural, chemical and mental aspects of the triad of health. The integration of this functional neurology is therefore the basis for outstanding athletic performance.
In addition to numerous Olympic athletes, applied kinesiology doctors have participated in a host of professional sports programs, including major league baseball, the NBA, the NFL and world cup soccer. Dozens serve at the collegiate and scholastic levels, as well as tending to the "weekend warriors" seen in everyday practice.
By John M. Heidrich, DC, DIBAK, CCSP