A narrative review of manual muscle testing and implications for muscle testing research

OBJECTIVE

Manual muscle testing (MMT) is used for a variety of purposes in health care by medical, osteopathic, chiropractic, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and athletic training professionals. The purpose of this study is to provide a narrative review of variations in techniques, durations, and forces used in MMT putting applied kinesiology (AK) muscle testing in context and highlighting aspects of muscle testing important to report in MMT research.

METHOD

PubMed, the Collected Papers of the International College of Applied Kinesiology-USA, and related texts were searched on the subjects of MMT, maximum voluntary isometric contraction testing, and make/break testing. Force parameters (magnitude, duration, timing of application), testing variations of MMT, and normative data were collected and evaluated.

RESULTS

"Break" tests aim to evaluate the muscle's ability to resist a gradually increasing pressure and may test different aspects of neuromuscular control than tests against fixed resistances. Applied kinesiologists use submaximal manual break tests and a binary grading scale to test short-term changes in muscle function in response to challenges. Many of the studies reviewed were not consistent in reporting parameters for testing.

CONCLUSIONS

To increase the chances for replication, studies using MMT should specify parameters of the tests used, such as exact procedures and instrumentation, duration of test, peak force, and timing of application of force.

Proposed mechanisms and treatment strategies for motion sickness disorder: a case series

OBJECTIVE

To present an overview of symptomatic motion sickness disorder and to propose allopathic and chiropractic approaches for treatment.

CLINICAL FEATURES

Three representative cases are presented involving patients with motion sickness. All 3 patients had suffered from this condition throughout their lives. A discussion of the hypothesis of sensory conflict as a causative factor in cases of motion sickness is offered.

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME

Following methods founded in applied kinesiology and using spinal and cranial manipulative treatment, the patients were able to travel long distances without nausea, sickness, or dizziness. The evaluation of these patients' responses to treatment was determined by the doctor's observation, the patients' subjective description of symptoms while riding in a motor vehicle, a visual analog scale for neck and associated pain, and applied kinesiology chiropractic physical assessment tools.

CONCLUSION

Further studies into chiropractic manipulative treatments for sensory conflict and proprioceptive dysfunctions associated with the problem of motion sickness are indicated. The hypothesis of sensory conflict as the cause of motion sickness should be explored more fully by other chiropractic physicians and researchers.