Kinesiology comes from the Greek word kinesis, which means motion.  In the medical sciences it is the name given to the study of muscles and the movement of the body, the mechanics of body movements.

Dr George Goodheart, an American chiropractor, the acknowledged founder of kinesiology in 1964, used the model of muscle testing to evaluate what he was doing chiropractically. The model of muscle testing he used was developed in the 1930s by the husband and wife team of Kendal and Kendal.

In neurology textbooks muscle testing is defined as “a means of testing the motor function of limbs”. Therefore muscle testing was already accepted as a valid technique and used extensively in orthopaedic medicine by physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths.

As interest grew in utilising this technique Dr Goodheart drew together a group of doctors who were also interested in developing this further and the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK) was formed. As part of the foundation of expanding the application of muscle testing the team took on board work done by Bennet and Chapman with regard to the lymphatic system. They also looked at the subtle energy system as used within acupuncture.

This then was the basis of muscle testing that was to develop and become known as Applied Kinesiology (AK).

About Dr. George Goodheart

The Father of Applied Kinesiology, Dr Goodheart, passed away on 5 March 2008. He was 89.

In 1964 Dr. Goodheart made the first correlation between finding a weak muscle using manual muscle testing and then employing chiropractic therapy to make it stronger. Since then he looked beyond the chiropractic profession to the fields of biomedicine, osteopathy, acupuncture, dentistry, nutrition, biochemistry, and others for methods to increase the health and well being of patients based on using the body itself as a diagnostic tool.

Dr. Goodheart had a unique way of looking at a patient’s problem and asking, “Why is that?” This allowed him to correlate many different types of examination and treatment procedures into a unified method of examining and then treat many difficult patients.

Applied Kinesiology was the name given by Dr George Goodheart, to the system of applying muscle testing diagnostically and therapeutically to different aspects of health care.  AK refers only to the parent system, as taught by the International College of Applied Kinesiology (ICAK).  The ICAK only accepts students with medical or scientific qualifications.

Applied Kinesiology has been developed from many different disciplines. Osteopathy for the cranial bones, from the orient for meridian imbalances, from chiropractic for correcting spinal/pelvic problems, from biochemistry to evaluate chemical pathways in the body, and procedures for treating muscle imbalances. From its beginning in the mid 60′s, advances in diagnosis and treatment have been added yearly.

Dr. Goodheart lectured since 1964 on Applied Kinesiology and among his many professional honors, he was the first chiropractor to serve on the U. S. Olympic Medical Team in 1980.

AK is regulated and governed by the ICAK in the USA.  Because of its chiropractic background, most people training in AK already have training in manipulative skills, including many chiropractors in the USA and some chiropractors and osteopaths in the UK.  Only candidates with 4 years’ full-time training in medicine or the medical sciences, who have a licence to diagnose, may apply for training and membership of ICAK.

Dr Sheldon Deal

Sheldon Deal, with John Thie, had a vision of making Kinesiology techniques available to both medical and non-medical people, who could usefully learn and share them with others.  Whereas John Thie created a synthesis of early developments of AK and called it Touch For Health, Sheldon Deal has created a synthesis of the ongoing developments of AK, which he called Advanced Kinesiology and which omits manipulative corrections carried out by chiropractors and osteopaths.

In recent years the orientation of the TFH Foundation has changed, and it has become a research organisation.

Brian Butler

The Academy of Systematic Kinesiology was formed by Brian Butler to educate the public in basic and advanced Kinesiology.  Brian was a pioneer in bringing TFH to Europe in 1976.  Systematic Kinesiology is the name he gave to a training programme which teaches Balanced Health, (based on TFH) and the intermediate and advanced Kinesiology techniques taught by Dr Sheldon Deal.

The Academy syllabus teaches only Kinesiological procedures which are accepted as AK practice by the ICAK.

Graduates of the Academy both in the UK and Ireland become members of the Association of Systematic Kinesiology (UK) and the Association of Systematic Kinesiology in Ireland.

TASK UK: The Academy UK website
ASK UK: ASK UK website