Kinesiology therapy is a popular alternative medicine and holistic health practice widely known for its application in several fields, including health, sports, fitness, recreation, etc, as it studies the mechanics of human movement and how it impacts our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Applied Kinesiology is a form of holistic therapy that uses muscle testing and monitoring to assess, detect, and address the imbalances that affect an individual’s health and well-being.
Like Richmond physiotherapy, kinesiology deals with the body and movement and how they affect an individual’s daily activities and overall quality of life. Kinesiology can reduce pain, improve strength, correct imbalances, and restore range of motion and function. You may benefit from kinesiology therapy if you undergo prehabilitation, post-care for acute injury, post-surgical rehabilitation, and other rehabilitation programs. This article will explain what kinesiology therapy at Cambie Physiotherapy entails and how to explore its benefits for your overall wellness.
What Does Kinesiology Therapy Entail?
The premise of kinesiology therapy is that every muscle in the body has a link or connection to a specific organ. Therefore, applied kinesiology believes that muscle testing and monitoring techniques can understand nutritional, emotional, and organ-related disorders in the body. The muscle testing technique measures the motor response of the central nervous system to sensory issues. The speed and intensity of these responses detect imbalances in the body.
Specialists in applied kinesiology are known as kinesiologists. These healthcare practitioners typically have a degree in Kinesiology and receive training in human anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor control and development, sport and exercise psychology, nutrition, and practice and management. Kinesiologists may also receive additional training and certifications to perform specific treatments such as yoga and pilates programs, concussion rehabilitation, cardiovascular and respiratory care, soft tissue release, etc.
While kinesiology therapy is an alternative medicine practice, it employs an evidence-based treatment model known as active rehabilitation. Active rehabilitation is a treatment model that allows patients to play an active role in their recovery. It uses progressive therapeutic exercises, endurance training, and other range-of-motion techniques to ensure that patients heal and recover from their injuries faster. An Activate Rehab Kinesiologist in Richmond, BC, mostly plays an educational role during active rehabilitation. They work with their patients to develop a personalized treatment program. They also teach patients how to perform therapeutic exercises, ensuring they maintain the correct form.
Other kinesiology techniques include:
Acupressure
Acupressure is an alternative medicine technique that targets the pressure points on the body to ensure a free flow of energy. This technique applies steady pressure to specific points in the body to produce positive physiological, neurological, and psychological effects. While acupressure is similar to acupuncture, the primary tool of this practice is the therapist’s fingers, compared to acupuncture’s needles.
Hypertonic Muscle Release
Muscle hypertonicity is the inability to relax a muscle due to increased passive stiffness and tightness. Since kinesiology deals with the muscles and their movements, a kinesiologist can test for and release overly stiff and tight muscles in the shoulder, hip, limbs, head, neck, and other body parts.
Nutritional Support
Diet and nutrition are essential for good health and overall quality of life. Therefore, nutrition is one of the specialties of kinesiology. Kinesiologists thoroughly evaluate their patients’ reflexes by testing the body’s acupuncture points and neurological reflexes to determine the nutrients that are deficient. They use the results of their evaluation to provide dietary recommendations that address these nutritional deficiencies and meet the individual needs of every patient.
Movement and Exercise
As a practice that studies movement, kinesiology employs therapeutic exercises and activities to improve flexibility, strength, endurance, and function. Examples of exercises that kinesiologists may recommend include:
- Resistance training: This technique is also known as strength or weight training. It involves physical activities that target the muscles to build strength and endurance.
- Cardiovascular training: This technique consists of exercises that increase muscle endurance and manage/prevent cardiovascular diseases.
- Balance training: Kinesiologists can help people who have suffered from illnesses, accidents, and medical conditions that affect their body awareness to regain their balance.
- Range-of-motion exercises: Kinesiologists train their patients in several exercise techniques that can help increase their range of motion.
Postural Assessments
Muscle imbalances that cause pain and other problems may affect your posture. Kinesiologists perform postural assessments to ensure they create effective exercise programs.
Other kinesiology techniques include lymphatic massage, energy balancing, health coaching, and other remedies.
Benefits of Kinesiology Therapy
Kinesiology is an alternative medicine practice that can benefit people suffering from chronic conditions that have not improved with conventional medicine. This healthcare practice benefits the body both physiologically and psychologically. For physical health, kinesiologists can help relieve and manage pain, enhance muscle recovery, improve joint mobility, promote relaxation, and prevent future injuries.
Psychologically, kinesiology reduces stress and anxiety, improves mood and cognitive function, and boosts self-confidence and emotional well-being. Overall, kinesiology therapy does not stop at assessing and identifying various imbalances causing health issues in the body; it also manages and addresses them.
Conclusion
Kinesiology therapy provides an alternative for people with no signs of improvement with conventional medicine. If you are suffering from unbearable pain and other conditions that limit your mobility and physical function, you can benefit from kinesiology therapy at Cambie Physiotherapy.
