NATURAL THERAPIES FOR INSOMNIA: KINESIOLOGY

Kinesiology is a way of examining and rebalancing the whole person. It can help the insomniac by identifying and correcting imbalances in body and mind, using a series of muscle tests and other techniques. It was the brainchild of an American chiropractor, Dr George Goodheart, who found that by testing the strength of specific muscles in a systematic way, it is possible to evaluate the patient’s state as a whole: nutritional/chemical, emotional, musculo-skeletal and energetic.

This system, which Dr Goodheart called Applied Kinesiology, is taught in the UK as Systematic Kinesiology; some practitioners refer to themselves as systematic kinesiologists, some as kinesiologists and some as kinesiotherapists. There are also simplified forms such as Touch for Health and Balanced Health, which are intended only for family use or as an adjunct to another therapy.

Some practitioners work purely as kinesiologists, while a number use kinesiology combined with other skills. An extremely basic form consists of testing whether a person’s arm becomes weaker or stronger in reaction to certain foods, substances, or thoughts. This can look impressive; it is fascinating to see how an anxious thought, for instance, or a sugar-lump in the mouth, can cause someone’s arm instantly to weaken, while a happy thought or a bite of an apple will strengthen it. However, serious kinesiologists regard this as a party trick: properly practised kinesiology is a great deal more complex.

It is based on the knowledge of a whole series of connections between particular muscles, organs, glands and bodily systems, including the acupuncture meridians and the circuitry of the brain and nervous system. So for correct treatment it’s important to go to somebody who has done a reasonable amount of training, as well as being a good counsellor.

For insomnia, says kinesiologist Maggie La Tourelle: ‘The first consideration would be to look for a balance in life, including nutrition, exercise and fresh air. Is the person in over-load or under-load? Some people don’t sleep because they are not doing enough in their lives, and are not satisfied or motivated; if they’re not expelling healthy energy during the day this can disturb them at night. Or are they working too hard? I would probably find all this out through counselling. I would look at the various stressors — emotional, work, environmental, chemical and so on, and identify where the stress is, both by counselling and by muscle testing.’

Muscle-testing is a way of asking the body non-verbal questions, to which its reactions give a truthful reply. To detect nutritional deficiencies and allergic reactions, the kinesiologist tests the strength of particular muscles in response to the patient’s contact with items of food, vitamin and mineral samples and so on.

What is actually being tested is the brain’s response to two things at once: holding the muscle in a particular position, together with another factor, like food. If there is a stress caused by the food, the brain cannot respond to the muscle test, and the muscle weakens. Items you need will strengthen the muscles, while items that are not therapeutic will weaken them. This is very useful if you are uncertain what supplements to take; Dr Goodheart once tested a film star who was taking 56 nutrients, and found she only needed four!

The kinesiologist can also ‘ask’ the body which of the various aspects — emotional, structural and so on — needs treating first, and whether any other treatment is needed. Once the areas of weakness have been discovered, he or she applies various techniques to strengthen and rebalance the body and its circuits. These include light massage on body reflexes to stimulate the lymphatic and vascular systems, and touching or holding the meridians and acupuncture points to release energy. Treatment includes nutritional and dietary advice; the kinesiologist may also recommend Bach Flower Remedies.

An important aspect of kinesiology consists of techniques for creating balance in the brain, both between the left and right hemispheres, and also the forebrain (to do with future projects) and the back-brain (to do with memory and the past), which are often in conflict with each other. If the insomnia is caused by an over-stress on the logical hemisphere and neglect of the intuitive side, the balance is restored by using a number of brain integration techniques. Brian Butler, director of the Association of Systematic Kinesiologists, suggests drawing a large ‘lazy 8′ (the figure 8 lying on its side); then keeping your nose pointed towards the centre, follow the 8 round with your eyes for a minute or two. This can improve concentration and memory, among other benefits.

Another helpful technique, Emotional Stress Release, gently clears emotional trauma. By placing his or her hands on the patient’s temples, the kinesiologist takes the charge out of an emotionally charged event, so that the memory is no longer disturbing. Clients can be taught to do this for themselves at home, which could be very helpful if a memory keeps you awake at night.

Kinesiologists may suggest other physical or mental exercises to do at home, including writing or repeating affirmations (positive statements), so that the balance can be maintained. T think that’s very important,’ says Maggie La Tourelle. ‘So that people know they can leave the therapist’s room and do something for themselves.’

Muscle testing can also be used to test for geopathic stress; for this the kinesiologist would need to test you on-site at home.

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