When it becomes obvious that your child is reacting to something, be it a food or an allergen or even an emotional issue, it can be overwhelming to know what to do and where to start.  You might be worried about your child’s skin, their inability to sleep well or a recurring redness in their genitals, their behaviour or a low immunity or many other symptoms that just aren’t ‘quite right’.  Most people will visit their doctor to begin with but others may be in need of further answers.  Many don’t know about the benefits of kinesiology in achieving balance in the body, particularly for children.

What is kinesiology?

Kinesiology, the study of movement, is an alternative and holistic therapy, combining both Eastern and Western medicine.  It is holistic in that it looks at health as a whole and addresses the physical body as well as the environment and psychological state of each individual.  By monitoring muscle movements or biofeedback, kinesiologists can determine where there is a block in energy be it structural, chemical or emotional, within the body.  This allows kinesiology to address stress, allergies and food sensitivities, nervous disorders, muscle, bone and joint pain, headaches, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, insomnia, and emotional issues.

And so kinesiology becomes extremely useful in determining exactly what is giving your child a reaction.

Benefits of kinesiology

• It is non-invasive.  It can be done through a ‘surrogate’ and thus your child may not even need to visit the kinesiologist with you.  But otherwise, testing of food sensitivities or emotional issues is all done whilst the child may be sitting, holding their parent’s hand.  The kinesiologist pushes downward on your extended arm to reveal a strong or weak response with your child’s biofeedback.
• Anything and everything can be tested for sensitivity.  This means you can see for yourself how different brands of food may react differently for your child.  You will also be able to see the difference between organic and non-organic foods.  You can test everything from children’s medicines to sunscreens to allergens such as latex (and whether this differs between balloons, bandaids and bananas – yes it is quite common for those with sensitivity to latex to have a banana sensitivity too).
• It can save wiping out a whole food group if it is only some products that are the issue.  For example, organic corn thins and corn chips giving a strong response but organic corn cobs and tinned corn giving a weak response.
• It is less mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting than starting an elimination diet from scratch.  The kinesiologist can test your child with a large range of food groups straight up and from there can hone in on different products and items involving chemicals in your child’s environment.
• It can shed light on emotional issues impacting your child’s system and thus how their body reacts to different foods when under different emotional stress.  This may involve emotional clearing and allowing parents to become aware of the stressors in their child’s life.
• It helps parents to question what is in the food they are serving their children and to use their own resources in determining the culprits.
• You can claim it through private health insurance or make it more reasonable by accessing a kinesiologist who is also a chiropractor.  Chiropractors tend to do shorter sessions, so whilst it may not be as thorough, you won’t be paying for longer sessions (but you will get a chiropractic check up for your child too, making it even more holistic).

So yes, kinesiology is controversial as it is not visible to the naked eye as to exactly how it works and it is not under the medical profession however, it can be a very helpful way to achieve balance in your child.  The only difficult thing is… you will have to be prepared to eliminate foods and chemicals or discuss any emotional issues with your child, to help them achieve balance.

If you need answers for your child but are unsure, why not give it a go and see it for yourself.  Alternatively, you can access an IgG blood test through an alternative medicine practitioner which will test your child for intolerances to many foods.  But not to be confused with an IgE blood/prick test which will test for allergic reactions.

Please let me know if kinesiology has helped your family.  🙂 Heidi