Finding the real joint
Pain rarely announces its own cause. Muscle testing helps separate the segment that hurts from the segment that is actually failing.
Applied Kinesiology
Asking the body directly.
Applied kinesiology uses manual muscle testing as a clinical assessment tool — a way to narrow down where a structural, nutritional or neurological problem actually sits, instead of guessing and waiting to see what happens.
What it is
A muscle test is simple: the doctor applies light pressure to an arm or a leg for a couple of seconds and watches how the muscle responds while a joint, a reflex or a nutrient is challenged. A response that changes under challenge points to where the examination should go next.
Dr. Sheppard trained in applied kinesiology alongside chiropractic neurology and functional medicine, and uses it the way a good clinician uses any assessment: to form a question, not to announce an answer.
What it is not
Applied kinesiology is not a diagnostic test for disease, and we are careful not to present it as one. It does not replace laboratory work, imaging or a physician's diagnosis — which is precisely why this practice also runs functional laboratory testing and reads the numbers. Muscle testing narrows the search; the labs confirm it.
In Practice
Where muscle testing earns its place
Narrowing nutrition
Instead of prescribing a shelf of supplements, we test which ones the body responds to and start there — then confirm with lab work.
Allergy & phenolic work
Muscle testing drives the NAET and phenolics steps of the Protocol, identifying what to address and in what order.
"The body keeps the record. Muscle testing is one way of reading it — then you go and check."— Dr. Patricia Sheppard
Questions
Applied kinesiology, explained
What is applied kinesiology?
Applied kinesiology (AK) uses manual muscle testing as a clinical assessment tool. The practitioner applies light pressure to a muscle and observes how it responds while challenging a joint, a nutrient or a reflex — a way of questioning the body directly about where a problem sits.
Is applied kinesiology a diagnostic test?
No, and we are careful about this. AK is an assessment technique that guides the examination and helps check whether a correction held. It does not diagnose disease and it does not replace laboratory testing or imaging — which is why this practice also runs functional lab work.
What does a muscle test feel like?
Light pressure against an arm or leg for a couple of seconds. It is not a strength contest and it should never hurt.
What is applied kinesiology used for here?
Locating structural problems that are not obvious on examination, checking which nutrients a body actually responds to, and driving the NAET allergy-elimination and phenolics steps of the Protocol.
Where can I find applied kinesiology in Santa Fe?
Dr. Sheppard practises applied kinesiology at the Santa Fe office, 1330 Cerro Gordo Road Unit A2. Call (415) 332-0621 to book.
Curious what your body would say?
Applied kinesiology in Santa Fe, NM and San Rafael, CA