In the 1960’s a Detroit Chiropractor, Dr. Goodheart, began combining acupuncture theory with a variety of western discoveries that involved touch reflexes and muscle testing. He discovered that there was a relationship not only between meridians and major organs but also muscles. He called his system Applied Kinesiology. Today it is taught exclusively to doctors and Chiropractors.
One of Dr. Goodheart’s earliest students, Dr. John Thie, saw it’s potential and developed a simpler system for lay people. He called it Touch For Health (TFH). Dr. Thie’s goal was to empower anyone interested in self care to be able to use these simple techniques to help themselves, their family and friends.
Today TFH is taught in over 100 countries and the Touch For Health manual has been translated into over 20 languages. TFH is a very effective system for stress and pain reduction. TFH uses muscle testing to determine imbalances in the body’s acupuncture meridian system. Muscle testing is both an art and a science. It is a skill that takes practice to refine and perfect. Kinesiology looks beyond symptoms and does not diagnose, treat or prescribe named diseases. Through manual muscle testing, a type of body biofeedback, kinesiologists can identify the nature of blockages in the energy flow. Once imbalances are identified then a variety of gentle touch techniques can be used to release energy blockages and allow the body’s innate healing processes to heal itself .

While Touch for Health was originally designed with the lay person in mind, many health professionals have found it to be a wonderful complementary approach to enhance their practice. One of its practical features is that it offers a systematic approach to balancing the body. Some people have learned muscle testing as an assessment tool, but no techniques for corrections. Others study lots of techniques with no coherent protocol for implementing them. Touch for Health teaches both quality muscle testing and a step-by-step, holistic systematic procedure to address balancing the full meridian system to enhance the health and well being of the whole person.

Just what kinds of health challenges can kinesiology be effective with? The list is endless. All kinds of conditions, both chronic and acute, have responded to these natural methods. Physical pain such as headaches, backaches, strains, sprains, menstrual cramps, nausea, TMJ, toothaches, and injuries are a few of the many body issues that have been helped quite effectively. Other kinds of physical conditions like sleep issues and jet lag respond quite well to this approach. Mental performance can be dramatically improved as these techniques enhance neurological functioning. It is commonplace to see people with reading difficulties be helped in a matter of minutes once key reflex techniques are taught to them. Kinesiology is also very effective in releasing fears, emotional stress, and unconscious sabotage programs.

In 2005 Arlene and Larry Green organized the 30th National TFH Convention in Durham, NC. It was an historic and memorable conference bringing together about 300 people from 18 countries. All who attended felt a deep sense of gratitude for this special occasion. It was such a unifying and positive gathering of so many of the pioneers in this field. The panel discussion of the Pioneers of Kinesiology now available on DVD. It was a wonderful gift to have given Dr. John Thie, one last opportunity to see how his TFH system has grown.  On August 3, just three weeks after the conference, he passed away. He was a great man, with a big heart, who lived his vision of empowering people to help one another and touched the lives of thousands of people around the world. Read more about the 2005 Conference

Photos of conference courtesy of Earl Cook at etouchforhealth.com