Signs of Life
Is modern medicine waking up from its drug-induced coma? Can A.K. and modern medicine unite?
Medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 66% of the US population takes one or more prescription medications. We only represent 5% of the world’s population, yet we consume 75% of all prescription drugs! Unfortunately, the average person does not recognize this. Thankfully, the work of Dr. Robert Naviaux, a physician-scientist, is bringing ideas that are very similar to natural healthcare and applying Kinesiology (A.K.) to the leading edge of medical research.
Could this unite A.K. and modern medicine? Can we have the life-saving benefits of emergency medicine AND the careful diagnosis of small threats that affect your health span?
In this article, we will explore the similarities between the applied kinesiology technique and Dr. Naviaux’s Cell Danger Response.
So… What Exactly IS Applied Kinesiology?
Applied Kinesiology (A.K.) is a diagnostic tool that helps solve a wide variety of health problems. It utilizes manual muscle tests as biofeedback from the body. Practitioners who utilize A.K. provide a true, whole-person approach. A.K. has been described as a “window” into the nervous system; just as a small amount of blood can give you a multitude of information about your body, A.K. can provide a plethora of details about your health. You can learn more about how I utilize A.K. in my office here.
In simple terms, it’s like performing hundreds of tiny experiments to understand what’s going on with each system of the body and how those systems are interacting with one another. Each session includes real-time diagnosis and treatment. This enables the practitioner to determine EXACTLY what is wrong in order to perform the appropriate therapy, including but not limited to: diet and lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements, acupressure, manual therapy, and other natural techniques.
What About the Cell Danger Response?
The Cell Danger Response (CDR) is a physiological response that occurs when cells in the body perceive a threat. This threat can be from a variety of sources, such as infections, injury, or exposure to toxins. When cells perceive a threat, they activate a series of responses that are designed to protect the body. These responses include inflammation, changes in energy production, and changes in gene expression. You can read more about the CDR here.
The CDR can involve many different systems of the body, including the immune system, the nervous system, and the endocrine system. It is a crucial part of the body’s defense against threats and is necessary for maintaining overall health.
Let’s say you have a virus in a cell. Would you want to increase the energy going into that cell? Definitely not. The CDR would stiffen the cell membrane so that thyroid hormones that would increase energy could not get in. This would limit the energy production while the threat is dealt with.
Finding Connections
Both A.K. and the CDR are based on the idea that the body is a complex, interconnected system. They both recognize that different systems in the body are constantly communicating with one another and that imbalances in one system can affect other systems.
The CDR could very well explain what we are finding when we challenge the body with different substances. During an A.K. exam, patents are exposed to various stressors to see how their body responds. For example, if I believed that someone had a problem with gluten, I would have them taste gluten and see if previously normal muscle patterns exhibited change.
CDRs have also been found to affect small areas or multiple systems throughout the body. A.K. addresses both local and systemic problems. An injury pattern in the knee could only be related to one of the muscles in the knee and only require treatment of that muscle. However, it is also possible that the knee pain is only a symptom of a larger stressor coming from the gallbladder or intestines. Problems with an organ system can make healing slow or even stop completely.
A Better, Brighter Future
Modern medicine is fantastic when dealing with emergency situations and heroic intervention. However, the approach to chronic conditions has been floundering in its antiquated view of how the body works.
A.K. is an open system, meaning that when any new understanding is found, it can be welcomed into the diagnostic system with the right challenges. For nearly 60 years, A.K. practitioners have been improving the process of caring for people structurally, nutritionally, and emotionally. Hopefully, this is a sign that medicine is shifting towards a more similar model, uniting A.K. and modern medicine.