By moving the left arm into a variety of different positions, the practitioner can determine whether the body requires nutritional, electro-magnetic, kinesiological or structural input. Structural input may be craniosacral therapy or another structural input. Electro-magnetic could be homeopathic or energetic therapy. Once the practitioner has determined what area he needs to work on, he can test a variety of supplements if it is nutritional, for example, and see what the body responds to and what it doesn't respond to, based on a set of samples of good quality products and ideas he has about what it likely to be the kind of the thing the body might need, based on your past history of treatment and your current symptoms and laboratory test results. The practitioner can also work on a particular set of pathways (or processes/functions) rather to a particular set of glands or organ in order to determine what process is blocked and what supplement to use to treat it with. The number of types of treatment that can be tested (e.g. energetic or electro-magnetic) is going to be restricted to what the practitioner knows and what tools/remedies are available.

• The body sometimes loses clarity/memory and goes into a state where it will give no answers ("I don't know the answer to that question!"), even if you put something that just a moment ago gave a strong positive or negative response, in which case the practitioner must follow a sequence of procedures to get the body responding again. A loss of clarify may also result in unequally lengthed arms (allegedly) temporarily. These loses of clarity are effectively temporary blockages in the energy system, and the more times the body loses clarity during an AK session, the more energy the body will likely lose in the process. However, performing this procedure at the start of a session, if the body is not providing any answers, has been reported by many patients, including myself, as feeling a little like a mild acupuncture session and can be highly energising (provided the body is not pressed for too much information and reset too many times thereafter as this may have the reverse effect, of draining the body's energy). The difference between AK and Kinesiology on the whole is that the AK practitioner is using Kinesiology to determine something, whereas the Kinesiology practitioner uses Kinesiology as the end in itself, a method of treating a person and removing an energetic blockage.


• At some point during the testing, the body will lose all clarity and will not respond to further testing and will not provide any further answers, at which point the testing is finished for the day.


• AK testing for a particular supplement that the body wants can determine the dosage needed at the time of testing and for the rest of the day, and that is how a daily dosage is determined. However, if you have already taken a quantity of that supplement earlier in the day, then that needs to be taken into consideration when communicating the dosage to the patient. A practitioner will often check to see if the body still wants a particular core supplement that you have been taking for a while, to determine if the dosage needs to go up or down, for example.

No two AK sessions are exactly the same and precise effects on the body and the route taken to obtain results may vary betweens sessions and between people. However, the results or outcome if performed correctly are usually the same. AK testing is a type of testing using the 'body intelligence'.

If you don't ask the right question in the right way, you may not get an answer back or at least the answer you were after. For example, you may ask the body about a certain substance and it may give the answer that it is 'balanced', but if you did not ask specifically about a possible immune-modulated allergic reaction to that substance, then the body may not tell you.

It is recommended that you find a consultant who is proficient in Applied Kinesiological testing. This type of testing is a valid form of test in itself as well as the laboratory tests described above, and is extremely important to effectively adjust and tailor the approach effectively, rather than just by guessing supplements and quantities. My view is that one should not however rely on AK testing alone, but as a form of fine tuning in one's treatment programme. It should not really be used to determine primary causes and problems, and this should be obtained from both qualitative and quantitative laboratory testing and microscopy work. A wide variety of tests are available to measure one's progress. There are also other types of muscle testing or bio-feedback type testing to determine what the body needs, what the body is allergic to, and what problems you have.

Wikipedia's definition of Applied Kinesiology can be found at the link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_kinesiology

A brief overview of the more basic type of kinesiological testing can be found at Cancer Remission web site below. Please note that many of the pathways tested and supplements test for are not necessarily 'good' or 'bad' intrinsically, but what the body requires at any point in time may change.

www.cancerremission.com/TestingDetails.html

Please see the two sections below for my views and experiences on the limitations of AK testing.

back to top

 
Benefits of Applied Kinesiology/Muscle Testing:

From my limited experience, Applied Kinesiology testing seems to be very useful as part of a wider testing and identification programme. It appears to be very useful in determing a brand and type of supplement to take, and fine tuning dosage requirements for a condition identified by other means, e.g. laboratory testing. It also appears to be quite useful in determining the requirements of the most chronic mineral and vitamin deficiencies, digestive system support and adrenal gland support. It can also be useful in determining the presence of significant numbers of harmful micro-organisms, although I would not personally rely on this method alone to determine this. It does not appear to be so useful in determining toxicity levels and the approach for a detoxification programme. It also does not appear to be so useful in determine mitochondrial dysfunction or electromagnetic deficiencies. This may perhaps vary according to the practitioner, but I prefer other test methods in these areas for these conditions.

If when you start seeing your practitioner and the body is totally confused, then it may only provide a few answers in initial AK/muscle testing sessions, e.g. a couple of different supplements in small dosages, even if you intuitively know the body 'should' require higher dosages or a number of other supplements, from examining your lab test results or just from intuition/common sense. However, just because your body 'should' require higher dosages or additional compounds, that doesn't mean that it can utilise them. The body may choose a lower dosage supplement, e.g. 250mg Acetyl-L-Carnitine compared with a 500mg version from the same manufacturer. Taking the higher dosage may result in the body being overloading with 'information' or not being able to utilise it as well. However, as one progresses with treatment, stops doing treatments or taking supplements that are confusing the body (being 'overzealous' and forcing the body to jump through hoops of your choosing), i.e. not what it requires at that point in time, then the body may start to give more answers and know better what it wants and be better able to utilise high dosages or other compounds that are technically required by the body in its current condition. The more you work with the body, the more it tends to best respond in order to climb out of the hole that has been dug. The more you work against the body and force it to do things that it doesn't actually require (as opposed to theoretically require according to someone's opinion or some lab results), the less effecively it will utilise what you throw at it and the less things it can actually utilise (effectively) as it becomes so 'confused'. Chopping and changing supplements and regimes regularly can result in biochemical chaos and energetic/other confusion.

If one is to see one's practitioner once a month, there are so many changes in the body's pattern, dosage changes and slightly different ways of addressing the same problem that may be needed, that muscle testing really is invaluable. To intelligently arrive at the same result at the end of each appointment would require a wide range of testing of numerous parameters, involving multiple urine tests and blood tests each month, which would not be practical. Most practitioners who rely on laboratory tests alone tend to stick to one or two parameters to closely monitor and leave other parameters to intuition, based on changes symptoms reported alone. Of course, AK practitioners should also use laboratory tests, but may not repeat lab tests more than every 6 months or so, depending on the what they are. Some patients resort to trial and error based on what they think will work, from test results, things they've noticed or what they've read on the internet. This can be very disruptive on the body and very taxing, as the errors tend to unbalance one's whole functioning, and the tendency is to keep retrying and making errors until one finally arrives at what one believes is the right balance (which may not necessarily be the case, only that which does not cause noticeable harm or disruption in the short term). AK testing can help avoid all this experimentation and arrive at an optimal and consistent regime.

AK testing when utilising other disciplines such as craniosacral therapy, homeopathy etc. can be a useful treatment in itself, to 'unconfuse' the body and get it to function better and communicate to itself better internally (in terms of nervous system function etc.) I have found that his energy levels increase after an AK testing session, even with all the logistics of getting to see the consultant are taken into consideration. Yes these are tiring, but the overall effect is a positive one for the body.

back to top

 
Potential Problems and Pitfalls of Applied Kinesiology/Muscle Testing:

The results of an AK testing session must be interpreted correctly in order to be meaningful. A failure to do this by either you or your consultant can provide less benefit than you would otherwise gain. Sometimes the result of the testing is correct but you may be wrong! Let's say your practitioner tested you for 2 Betaine HCl capsules with each meal. But your experience tells you that this isn't enough as you still have pungent wind frequently and trouble digesting protein. However, you may be overeating at meal times, such that if you ate a little less at each meal, but perhaps ate more often, then your Betaine HCl requirement would decrease and your digestion would improve. Does this mean that AK is rubbish? I do not think so, but believe that it has its limitations. However, make up your own mind and choose the style of testing that you feel most comfortable with.

Sometimes muscle testing provides a dosage that seems minimalist and often totally insufficient. Specific examples from my experience include 5-HTP dosages, which always seemed to be barely enough to ensure a proper night's sleep; and also mineral supplementation whilst using a demineralising chelating agent (for Lead detoxification), specifically EDTA. The mineral regime was perfectly fine if no chelation was being carried out, but because EDTA tends to remove nutritional and trace minerals as well as heavy metals, then the actual requirement would be greater than the 'normal' amount of mineral supplements. As to how one is supposed to draw this distinction with AK testing, I do not know, but it is one failing of AK testing. Another example is either antioxidant or blood pressure lowering herbs to help with cardiac support. Whilst the general antioxidant regime was geared more to free radical proliferation, the suggested regime on several occasions (but not all) was not quite sufficient for cardiac support. On those occasions it was, the benefit came more from assisting mitochondrial function and body balance in general so the heart was not under pressure in the first place.

It is difficult to determine complex schedules of supplementation with AK testing. For example, cases where a couple of weeks on and a couple of weeks off are required. One example would be chelating and mobilising agents as part of a heavy metal detoxification programme. This was not such an issue with EDTA, as the dosage determined in my case was 3 Detoxamin for Kids suppositories per week, which worked out fine. However some examples of problematic cases are listed below.

• Lipoic acid (ALA) - is a mobiliser of heavy metals, and many would argue should be taken daily (dosed throughout the day and night) for up to 2 weeks, with a couple of weeks off after that, to ensure that heavy metal levels do not accumulate too high in the body. This is not really possible to determine with AK testing, where the answer you might get is twice a day for example. I was once dosed high strength ALA daily for a number of months (600mg of ALAMax CR, twice a day), and after 5-6 months, I started getting symptoms of cumulative heavy metal toxicity and was unable to take the dosage any longer. I had a break of a week and started again with a lower dosage (starting off on 50mg every 6 hours and slowly increasing), and was ok with that for a month, but kept getting worse neurological symptoms (including visual and cognitive problems). His level of inflammation also increased. He had to stop taking it in the end. 2 weeks before this I was tested as requiring 150mg 6 times a day, which was still too high. Trying to 'achieve' this dosage over a few weeks was one contributary factor to having to stop completely. It was only a month later that the ALA tested negatively. Clearly one could have overriden this with some common sense and stopped much earlier, or adapted the regime to prevent this problem occurring in the first place.


• Changing Chelating Agents - Whilst the EDTA dosing and scheduling was perfectly fine initially, on account of the build up of Mercury because of the ALA supplementation regime, I felt a change of chelator from EDTA (best for Lead) to a chelator such as OSR (best for Mercury) might be in order, but it took nearly 3 months for the body to actually response positively to OSR. If I had taken it earlier, it might have helped avert this excessive build up of Mercury also, but who can say if it would have worked optimally with the body. An AK purist might also have difficulty in relating sensible precautionary measures for Mercury Amalgam Filling removal, as most of the substances involved would test neutrally before the dental procedure, so would not interest the AK practitioner but would of course be of extreme interest to the patient!


• Other mobilising agents - Humate - After I had been off Lipoic Acid for 3 months, and had been on OSR for 2 months to remove some of the moblised Mercury, I still hadn't cleared all the excess Mercury and still had symptoms of inflammation, but I muscle tested for a probiotic Primal Defense by Garden of Life. This contains 285mg of Humate, which is a mobilising agent for heavy metals. Whilst the body may have required the 'Soil-Based Organism' (a.k.a. Homeostatic Soil Organism) Bacillus subtilis, it was not really appropriate for it to be given any Mercury mobilisers at that time still.


• Variable reliability with regards to detecting gut infections. I believe it is a big mistake to rely solely on muscle testing to determine gut infections, but to perform regular stool tests, as otherwise it is easy for an infection to develop under the 'radar'. e.g. In July 2010 I has a stool test performed which revealed I had high levels of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (nutritional yeast) and reasonably high levels of alpha haemolytic streptococcus or gamma streptococcus. I treated these at the time, but am not sure how successfully. I had experienced severe bloating from January 2010 onwards, and was muscle tested at various points thereafter for bacterial, fungal or parasite infections. The response received was that I did not have any pathogenic or bad bacteria but an absence of good bacteria (which was true), however yeast was not detected. I am not sure if there is a muscle testing modality for excessive commensal bacteria of a not particularly beneficial variety (e.g. alpha haemolytic streptococcus or gamma streptococcus) but these were found to be in high numbers in a stool test in December 2010, with yeast in moderate numbers. Muscle testing did during one month in 2010 state that I had a bad bacteria overgrowth, but the following month it was not shown. So for only 1 month out of 12 did muscle testing show that anything was wrong. It did not show any evidence of yeast overgrowth and the yeast and strep overgrowth I believe had developed from January 2010 onwards. However, once my practitioner had the test results from the stool analysis, in January 2011, then I was muscle tested for both of these infections, and for various herbal remedies to address them.

AK testing has also established a dosage for a multi-vitamin, mineral and antioxidant supplement such as Thorne Research's MediClear. However, this contained Rice Bran, which I was allergic to. I would get a very mild sore throat after consuming it (i.e. an IgE food allergy). Generally, it is recommended to avoid any foods completely that give one such a reaction (as it upregulates the whole inflammatory condition of the body), but here the practitioner was recommending it (in a small dosage) - not because of the rice bran but its other ingredients. Any more than the suggested dosage and my sore throat symptoms were much worse. AK testing established a dosage which was just about tolerable. However, one may wonder whether it is satisfactory in this respect as I would have preferred for multiple reasons to have taken something or several supplements with the same ingredients but with no allergic effect, which would have helped with lowering my overall level of inflammation, whilst having the same benefits.

AK testing thus in certain instances provides a theoretical 'optimal' regime for the body from an AK perspective, rather than a functional and fully workable regime. The AK-derived regime may be optimised and balanced from an AK perspective, but this may not necessarily be optimal for one's overall recovery. In certain instances, particularly concerning long term mobilising agent use, one simply may not be asking enough 'questions', or is able to do so, so that one cannot simply equate the AK answer with what the body really wants or what is best for the body from all perspectives.

There may be an attitude amongst AK testing purists that AK testing always gives the right answer, and if not, and there is some problem with the treatment regime determined, then it is not their fault as they were just relaying back to the patient what the body told them. In this sense there may be a total denial of accountability, a doctor telling you what to take, then denying any responsibility for if it works or not, or if it does more harm than good. This type of attitude is not really what one expects from a practitioner, as one is paying them for them to use their brain and not slavishly follow the testing results (which in a metaphoric sense would be like having a trained monkey as your doctor).One expects the practitioner to sanity check the regime and pay attention to reported symptoms and how they change over time; and look to cross checking with regular laboratory testing.

Supplements that provide no muscle testing response, i.e. provide a neutral or 'food' answer, from an AK perspective, could be interpreted as meaning 'you can take it if you like, it won't make any difference'. Some practitioners interpret this as meaning 'you can take as much as you like, it is of no consequence'. The latter answer is not quite right however, as it really means 'from an AK perspective'. Whilst a particular supplement may not be optimised or functional from an AK perspective, that is not to say that it will not still perform a biochemical role in the body, and that too much may still cause imbalance, disrupt the body or in the case of certain detoxification supplements, make one extremely ill if one takes more than a small amount. Always take such suggestions or advice with a pinch of salt. I was once told that I could take as much Cilantro as I wanted, that it wouldn't make any difference. This was based on a lack of awareness of the poweful heavy metal mobilising properties of Cilantro, and at the time (after removing a Mercury Amalgam Filling) made him extremely ill (even more ill) and was the last thing he should have been doing.

Some patients may feel that AK or muscle testing sessions are 'rigged' in that the practitioner may be 'cheating' my faking a response from the body to prove what he wanted to be proven, i.e. simply making it up. My AK practitioner denied that this was the case, even though it did feel like it at times. However, it is objectively very difficult for the patient in this posture and with the practitioner holding their arm up at a certain angle to judge this. It may well be the case for less reputable or 'shifty' practitioners.

It would appear from my experiences that at certain points in my condition, that there was a honeymoon period after a consultant where his body had been energetically 'reset' by the AK practitioner, and where the body responded well to the prescribed regimen, and to the minimalist and targetted supplement regime. However, after this honeymoon period was over (likely a result of overdoing it physically/mentally or perhaps having gotten carried away with too many additional supplements and put the body into a confused state again), or when the energy boost from the session had worn off (similar to how the up-beat effect of an acupuncture or other energetic seession wears off after a few days), the body did on a number of occasions did not respond so well to the supplements and see that level of expected or previous progress. In these cases, I wonder whether another AK session to reset the body again and re-test the previously prescribed supplement regime, would have fixed this problem, or whether this signified that the supplement approach did not really work or would only work if one hadn't overdone it and become unresponsive and much worse physically; thus requiring a different type of treatment approach. This may be exaccerbated when a patient is so ill that he has to physically recover from appointments for a few days or even weeks, when the whole logistical experience of the appointment negates (most of) the actual benefit the appointment brings (the net effect being slight progress but not as much as had been anticipated by either party). Is it in a sense like having acupuncture once a month but without taking any Chinese herbs in the interim to build on the acupuncture treatments? When it doesn't work, that is? This is probably something the individual must figure out for himself.

You or your practitioner may chose in specific areas to override your 'body intelligence' or what it has been determined that your body thinks it needs at a certain point in time. For example, if you have very poorly functioning adrenal glands, and your body is clearly signifying it wants supplementation to stimulate these, but over several months such supplementation is not making any progress, and your body is signifying that it does not want certain detoxification supplements (assuming you have a toxicity issue here), then you or your practitioner may choose to override the body's requests temporarily in this area and begin detoxification whilst still supporting the adrenal glands. In certain instances, the adrenal glands will not recover until sufficient toxins are removed from the body and stress levels are lower. However, if you do override the 'body intelligence' and use your common sense, you will occasionally get it wrong! And you have to accept the consequences.

So it is wise to regularly review your approach and not to feel locked into anything for the sake of it. Sometimes the body is so confused, that it may not understand the process and order of treatments that will be most effective. Throwing too much at your body may be detrimental or at best ineffective, as opposed to focussing on what the body most needs, and being disciplined enough to stick to that. The vast majority of the time, Applied Kinesiological testing gets the right answers however, and part of the process involves 'resetting' the body's responses if it does not provide a positive answer. So whether this rare type of problem scenario lies in the body's answer, the interpretation or the practitioner is a philosophical matter. This is really the practitioner's job to figure all this out, not yours! However...

The whole point of AK is to listen to feedback, so one has to listen to the feedback of the actual progress and how the patient is feeling (in addition to regular test results), not just slavishly follow applied kinesiological tests to guide treatment in its entirety. In other words common sense, wisdom and a wider awareness of protocols and perspective is required. Being locked into any one approach rigidly is rarely a good thing.

back to top

 
Applied Kinesiology and Supplements:

When a patient or practitioner becomes aware of a particular problem, there are a large array of supplement types, manufacturers, formats and so on to choose from for that particular application; which are all theoretically (and on paper) the right tools for the job. Many practitioners stick to a certain brand for all patients, or a fixed combination of herbs or antioxidants for example, to address a certain classification of problem. However, this does not take into account the relative properties of the supplements and how they affect the body on an energetic level. Progress may be affected depending on which set of supplements one takes. This is likely to be different for each individual at a given point in them. Some may be helpful, some of limited benefit, and some cause more bodily confusion or imbalance than do good.

Remember that not all supplements are created equal. Your body can probably utilise some types/forms/brands better than others, and many your body is actually subtly allergic to, and which won't do you any good at all, and will just waste your money. This is usually true of cheaper brands. However, certain types of supplement may not be effectively utilised by your body at any one point in time. A good naturopath should be able to determine what works best for you, what your body needs, kinesiologically. This may sound strange, but it does work. Black Spy was highly sceptical at first about Applied Kinesiology. AK testing of supplements again is a skill that an individual practitioner will have, and they may be excellent at it, average, below average or awful! Certain brands tend to agree with the vast majority of patients for the vast majority of the time. An example of some high quality, non-allergenic supplement brands includes Nutri, Metagenics, Vital Nutrients, Jarrow Formulas, Thorne Research, Tyler, BioCare, Planetary Herbals, Metabolics, Source Naturals etc. Nutri capsules are quite fragile and have a habit of breaking in the jar. Other brands tend to show an allergic reaction to the body nearly all of the time with all patients, such as Solgar or Holland and Barrett. But it is clearly dependent on the individual. 'Out of the box' supplements tailored (and marketed) by their manufacturers for specific health problems are not always effective (and are often self-prescribed). They may not provide the constituent ingredients in the right ratios, in the required concentrations and of the right quality for that individual. In specific cases, you may need to overrule the AK test result about a specific supplement and use your common sense. But as a general rule it is extremely useful.

back to top

 
Bio-Resonance Testing:

Applied Kinesiology (AK) is a form of bio-resonance testing. There are other forms of bio-resonance testing available, including using a pendulum (often referred to as 'pendulum dowsing' somewhat incorrectly. This may not be your cup of tea. The patient does not have to be physically present, nor the supplement being tested, but if they are, it usually produces a more accurate result. Electronic biofeedback or bio-resonance devices and software are available on the market and seem to produce some useful results, depending on the practitioner who is using the device, but in my opinion these are not a true form of bio-resonance testing and do not necessarily offer any advantages over using a pendulum, if that is your particular cup of tea.

I did have a session with an Asyra in the UK (see below for details of the Asyra). Whilst many of the specific results were variable in reliability, and there were some key parameters and deficiencies missing from the report (e.g. a severe amino acid deficiency at the time) and very bad candida overgrowth, it did pick up psychological symptoms with remarkable accuracy which I was highly surprised about. To what degree the exact results were guided by the practitioner I do not know but she was not party to all my non-medical background. The bacterial/parasite diagnoses from the Asyra and similar devices are supposedly picking up on the present or residual historical 'energy signature' of the organism in the body - so a diagnosis may simply mean that one once had such and such an organism but not any longer, or it could mean it is currently prevalent in the body. The answer is not clear. In this area, the Asyra also provided me with a Lyme Disease diagnosis, which was later verified with a MELISA Borrelia blood test - however the exact Borrelia bacterial species I do not believe was correct, but that was of little practical consequence. It was a useful pointer to investigating the possibility of Lyme Disease and prompted me to have the blood test done, as otherwise I probably would never have considered it. Also, the Lyme co-infection species on the report I am not 100% convinced were correct - conflicting with muscle testing results - but this is yet to be determined and identified by blood tests. I was also diagnosed as having the energy signature of a tape worm, although this must presumably have either been referring to a protozoan parasite species instead - i.e. the wrong species - a collosal difference in size!) or referring to a historical occurrence of tape worms 20+ years prior - to my knowledge. I had been taking Diatomaceous earth prior so it is unlikely I had a tapeworm - as well as having had multiple broad spectrum anti-parasite/tape worm treatments in the past - to deal with protozoans.

Bio-resonance testing in general can determine potential issues with a patient including mitochondrial dysfunction, toxicity, adrenal issues, electromagnetic imbalances, emotional imbalance etc.

back to top

 
Bio-Feedback (BEST/EDS/EAV) & Electronic Devices:

VEGA Machine is an electronic diagnostic device manufactured by VEGA Medical Devices. The first electrodiagnostic device available on the market was the Vegatest in 1968. The technology has recently been bought up by Wegamed in Germany, and the products being offered are currently Med matrix, Med select, Med audiocolor, Check Medical Sport and Test Expert Plus.
http://www.wegamed.de
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega_Machines
www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/electro.html

Asyra Pro, distributed in the US by GTech, is an electronic bio-energetic testing device connects to a PC, and uses two cylinders that are held by the patient, and is claimed to be able to diagnose and treatment various conditions, including food allergies, pH imbalance, hormonal imbalance, parasite, lyme, protozoa and bad bacteria overgrowth. Its primary interface is a set of brass cylinders that the patient holds and also a laser which is used to diagnosis and treatment (e.g. one application is LED Detoxification). It includes 60,000 nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies preprogrammed into its database. GTech also produce another device for Detoxification, called Body Cleanse, which is a type of ionic foot bath. NutriVital are distributors in the UK, who also provide Asyra training and their own brand of nutritional supplements.
www.asyra.com
www.asyra.co.uk

Co-Re, distributed by Inergetix Inc., is a German invented biofeedback/bio-energetic diagnostic and balancing device that is able to test on 4 levels - structural (bones, muscles, tissues etc.), Biochemical (cells, microbiology, body chemistry etc.), Energetic (electricity, light, sound, heat, magnetism etc.) and Informational (pure symbol). It uses a number of interface tools including metal cylinders (golden hand electrodes) as well as Acupuncture applicator, bracelets, a projector, goggles and magnetotherapy applicators. According to a practitioner of mine, the device does not need use the applicators (as it can work remotely) but they are really there to appease the patient. Unlike some other biofeedback devices it has a number of algorhythms for psychic and emotional problems (as well as actual supplements and remedy items) and is claimed to be used for spiritual healing as well as biochemical healing etc. It has over 100,000 such items in its database to date.
http://www.energy-medicine.info/
http://www.naturaltherapyclinic.co.uk/_docs/Theoretic_Basis%20_of_CoRe.pdf

Avatar 4.0 EDS is manufactured by VeraDyne Corporation. It is said to require more practitioner intervention and manipulation than EAVs such as Asyra which are more automated.
http://veradyne.com/

QXCI Synergy - distributors of the Quantum Xrroid Consciousness Interface. The QXCI is a electric device that is claimed to be used to diagnose and treat medical conditions by reading a huge number of bio-energetic patterns of the patient from a headset, and processing this data in a computer and then computing up to 100 different treatment programmes to remedy these bio-energetic problems. The treatment is therefore presumably only as good as the software.
www.qxcisynergy.co.uk/index.php

The Rife Machine was first created by Dr Royal Raymond Rife. It is claimed to use different electromagnetic frequencies to treat a variety of conditions. It seems to be withdrawn from the market, presumably on account of the FDA.
www.rifehealth.com

Biomeridian's Vantage is an electronic device that is claimed to diagnose medical conditions by measuring the energetic strength of the body's meridians. One probe is held in one hand and the other probe is connected to different acupuncture points on the hand, foot or body.
www.biomeridian.com

CNGI, Inc. are manufacturers of the Detox Box, featuring 550+ preprogrammed codes and 450 frequencies (similar to a Rife machine). This has now been withdrawn from the market (presumably on account of FDA pressure or action). CNGI also sell an LLLT device and The ION Bath Platinum Edition (designed for use with a foot bath of water).
www.ionbath.com

The Vibrational Integration Bio-Photonic Energiser (VIBE) Machine. An electrical device working on the premise of using certain frequencies of fluctuating electromagnetic field (presumably) to increase the voltage of the body's cells. It is claimed to be used for diagnosing problems and conditions as well as the body's responses to various supplements or external test items. The treatment is therefore presumably only as good as the software and the practitioner. The VIBE Machine cannot be purchased by the public, as presumably is cost prohibitive and requires training. However, a list of practitioners with a VIBE Machine can be found at the web sites below. Update - this machine has been withdrawn from the market voluntarily on account of threat of action by the FDA.
www.vibemachine.com
www.vibemachine.co.uk

EnVision by NuVision USA is a software program that runs on a PC that claims to be able to diagnose a patient without a physical contact with the patient. It uses 'Holographic Scaling Technology'. The patient's full name, place of birth, date of birth and symptom classifications are entered into the program and it runs a diagnostic and produces a list of conditions or issues. It can also set up a program on the NuVision server which 'emits frequencies' to heal the patient, much like EMC2's AIM Program but at a fraction of the cost and using specified frequencies rather than firing everything at once like AIM. I have used it and in many areas it is shockingly accurate. Apparently similar to the CoRe in terms of its diagnostic capabilities.
http://www.nuvisionusa.com/

Zyto is a manufacturer of bio-feedback systems including Elite, Select, Balance and EVOX. It includes a subscription.
http://www.zyto.com/

back to top

 
Other Alternative Treatments related to Bio-Feedback (BEST/EDS/EAV):

Ionic Foot Baths or Spas are referenced above in conjunction with EAV devices. Here are some other EAV related technologies and treatments that are considered to be alternative. I have not personally evaluated any of these.

Tools for Healing's Don Croft Zapper or Terminator II is an EM device based on one proposed by Dr Hulda Clark that is reputed to be able to safely 'zap' harmful micro-organisms from the body, e.g. yeasts, parasites, bad bacteria etc. There are several variants on this model.
www.toolsforhealing.com/Products/Zapper/Products/TerminatorII.html
www.toolsforhealing.com/Products/Zapper/Articles/MiniFGFAQs.html

Neuroliminal Training (by Dr Philip Bate, PhD) uses similar principles to EEG Biofeedback testing but uses taped waveforms to adjust the amplitude of certain brain waves. It is claimed to help insomnia, depression, autism, ADD and ADHD and is currently being trialled on CFS patients (in combination with Biofeedback testing).
www.drbate.com/howitworks.html
www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/id/9046

Micro-Current Therapy is a type of therapy similar to TENS, using electronic devices such as those by MicroDoctor or MicroAce. It is said to speed up the rate of cellular repair, as well as reduce pain and inflammation (the latter qualities are like TENS). A type of microcurrent therapy is recommended by Dr Dietrich Klinghardt.
www.microdoctor.co.uk
www.microace.com
www.frequencyspecific.com

back to top

 
Bio-Feedback (BEST/EDS/EAV) & Electronic Device Articles:

Asyra's web site contains a historical overview of Bio-Feedback devices, a.k.a. Electro-Dermal Screening (E.D.S.) or Bio-Energetic Stress Testing (B.E.S.T.), including it origins in the 1900s. Bio-Energetic Stress Testing has nothing to do with the Morter Health System a.k.a. Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.) which is a non-intrusive physical treatment for rebalancing the body's weaknesses, which uses some principles of Applied Kinesiology and uses various hands-on release techniques. The two share nothing except for the acronym 'B.E.S.T' and a claim to use Bio-Energetic principles.
www.asyra.co.uk/technology

The Mayo Cinic's web site contains an article of Biofeedback testing and explains some of the available electronic methods.
www.mayoclinic.com/health/biofeedback/SA00083

The Association for Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback (AAPB) is a central resource for locating biofeedback practitioners and educators in the USA.
http://www.aapb.org/

The article below describes what are biofeedback machines, and what features are not strictly biofeedback but related technologies (including NES and Ondamed).
http://www.aapb.org/tl_files/AAPB/biofeedback/Legitimate%20Biofeedback%20January%202009.pdf

Nutri-Energetics System (NES) machine is manufactured by NES Health.
http://www.neshealth.com/en-gb/homepage.aspx

Ondamed is a biofeedback system developed by Ondamed GmbH in Germany. It is also distributed by Ondamed in the USA.
http://www.ondamed.de
http://www.ondamed.net

back to top
 

Kinesiology-based Treatments: NAET and ECR:

Kinesiology-based treatments for allergies, food and otherwise, include Applied Kinesiology, Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET), and Energetic Cellular Release (ECR). These also work on the energetic system.

NAET was devised by Devi S. Nambudripad M.D, drawing on acupuncture, applied kinesiology and allergy medicine. She has written a number of books on the subject. There are also NAET practitioners that can practice the therapy on patients.

www.naet.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAET

ECR is an evolution of NAET, and was created by Tracy Wakefield Southwick ND. It uses classical NAET treatment and antigen vials but uses additional vials and infra red light to enhance and speed up processing times for the body to reduce its allergic response to an antigen. ECR can also use the EnVision bio-feedback system to create new antigen vials for virtually any biological disruption, even troublesome emotions.

http://www.heightsofhealth.com/services.html#ecr

http://www.nuvisionusa.com/ecr/tracy-wakefield-southwick/

back to top

 
Craniosacral Therapy:

Craniosacral Therapy is a type of treatment that looks to improve the rhythmic circulation of cranial fluid throughout the cranium and spine and also release muscle tension in the skull. In a sense it is like a catalyst to helping the body heal itself. The skull is comprised of a very large number of individual bones, all of which should be able to move slightly. Those with CFS or related conditions often have a completely jammed skull and hardly any cranial fluid motion in the cranium or spinal column. This has a big impact on the energetic and bio-chemical health of the body, and may cause/aggravate existing symptoms and slow down recovery. Don't forget that the spine is part of the brain - think about that, those of you who like to slouch!

In many respects the strength and regularity of the flow of cranial and spinal fluid circulation seems to correspond with the strength and flow of qi in the body. When the level of qi in the body is low, the stength of the flow and rhythm of the cranial and spinal fluid circulation is weaker. However, the quaity of the rhythm of the circulation is also related to the qi levels and balance of meridians in the body. How exactly qi levels and the cranial and spinal fluid circulation relate is not quite clear, but there is a definite relationship of sorts. Improving one's cranial and spinal fluid circulation will undoubtedly improve one's qi circulation also. Craniosacral therapy does not use up the qi in the body, but encourages it to flow better and indirectly to set up conditions to allow the body to build it up. One can therefore have multiple sessions in close successions without being concerned about depleting qi levels. However, the body may require up to 3 or 4 days after a session to really work the changes through, so the effectiveness of doing this is debatable.

There is an exercise that one can perform at home to gently encourage some movement of the cranial fluid. This is performed by placing two slightly springy balls (tennis balls or slightly smaller) in a sock, pushing them to the end and tieing the sock to hold them in place. A ball slightly smaller and softer than a tennis ball may be preferable and more comfortable, and may not slip as much as a tennis ball in a sock. Place this dual ball sock just below the hard bone of the back of the skull (the occipital ridge). Follow the line of muscle and bone ran runs diagonally up the back of the neck behind your ears. Your Cranioscral Therapist will be able to advise you of the optimal positioning. You may wish also to experiment with the positioning slightly and notice which gives the greatest effect. The position should be symmetrical from one side of the neck to the other (each ball's position). One places the balls on the floor and lies on one's back with these balls supporting the head. Ideally one should lie there for 20 minutes. This can be performed every few days and is a good relaxation exercise. It can also be combined with a breathing or visualisation exercise. It should be noted that performing this exercise for long durations and every day for long periods of time may result in overstimulation - if one is experiencing visual disturbances of any kind (e.g. seeing 'stars', sharp objects appearing fuzzy, 'tripping out' etc.) during or immediately after performing this exercise, then cease its practice immediate and for an indefinite period - until you have consulted your Craniosacral Therapist.

The exercise and positioning are described at the web site below.

www.hummingbird-one.co.uk/craniosacral/cstsmin.html

A photograph of two tennis balls in a sock is shown below!



Like many other types of physical therapists, quality of treatment varies considerably. Some are excellent and some cause more harm than good. This is why you might want to see a highly qualified, highly experienced and highly recommended Craniosacral Therapist.

back to top

 
Homeopathy:

Homeopathy was invented by a German in the late 18th Century. It is a system of diluting a plant extract or other compound until its concentration is virtually zero, but it's energetic properties are claimed to still remain in the solution. It uses the principle of treating like with like (akin to fighting fire with fire, energetically speaking).

www.homeopathy-soh.org

Critics of homeopathy state that herbal solutions do not actually contain any measurable concentration of the stated herbal ingredients, and are basically water and alcohol; and compared with strong tinctures of high quality organic herbs, which have the actual properties of the plant(s) in question and arguably more of the 'energy' of the plant in them, they may be ineffective. Critics of homeopathy also point to those preparations that use heavy metals, puss, tumours, faecal matter etc., diluted down, which is meant to 'cure' the patient. Dr Richard Schulze claims that the founder homeopathy even used to suffocate birds as he believed the essence of the bird would go into the alcoholic solution.

www.curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=547732

'Dr. Samuel Hanhemann (1755 - 1843), a medical doctor, after years of orthodox medical practice became dissatisified with his therapy. He developed his own system, using the same medical drugs of the era, but in very small even invisible dosages. I repeat he used the same chemical drugs, animal parts, herbs, reptiles, insects, metals, minerals, acids, and radioactive material which are still employed by modern homeopathic and medical doctors. He believed that the remedies took on the spirit, especially in the case of the animals, reptiles, and insects. A common practice of his was to suffocate live birds into the alcohol to capture the spirit of the animal into the remedy. This is still practiced today in such homeopathic remedies as Formica Rufa or Myrmexine, used in the treatment of arthritis, which is made from crushed live ants. He did not believe that we could depend on nature to treat disease and illness as stated in his book The Organon of Medicine written in 1810. Some of his fundamental beliefs were recorded in this work. He felt that nature was undependabe as a healing agent, most of nature was unusable in its natural state, and if it did cure disease it was only by chance. He felt the only certain cures were remedies manufactured by the physician. These views are exactly the views of most orthodox medical doctors today, certainly not the views of Holistic or Natural Practitioners.'

www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/homeo.html

Arguments for Homeopathy can be found in this Natural News article, some being more meaningful than others.

www.naturalnews.com/024512.html

I have tried a number of homeopathic remedies over the years, by various skilled homeopaths, some skilled in working with CFS patients, and have not ever noticed any substantial effect from them. I do know of patients however who have made a full recovery using homeopathic medicine, so keep an open mind, but remains slightly sceptical.

back to top

 
Additional Exercises You Can Perform At Home:

As discussed on the Stress Management page, there are a number of exercises you can do yourself to increase your qi flow and internal calm which is required for proper qi flow.

back to top

 
Meditation and Breathing Exercises:

The first of these is meditation. This can help a person to relax and feel good about himself. There are many different types of meditation from various disciplines available. A meditation can take many forms, and usually involves sitting on a chair which a straight posture but relaxed, or sitting on a few pillows on the floor, cross legged or in the lotus position if you can achieve this without discomfort. The whole purpose of meditation is to focus on your breathing and to calm the mind. To employ proper diaphragm breathing, whereby you initiate a breathe by pushing out your lower addomen, and filling the bottom of your lungs before you start to lift your rib cage. To exhale, you would lower your rib cage, and finally push your abdomen in to squeeze out all the air from the bottom of your lungs.

The mind is rarely clear and free of thoughts. Our environment is full of constant stimulus (work, talk, travel, computers, television, music etc), but at the same time, many areas of our lives are understimulated, e.g. our senses, our bodily awareness, awareness of the environment around us, feeling etc. Our conscious minds are filled with thoughts, often complete garbage. We are rarely in control of our own minds and able to control our moods, and are subject to a seesaw of emotion and random thoughts. Rarely are we able to clear our mind of thoughts and interrupts and feel what is actually going on in the here and now. And to experience any peace or relaxation. If you try to sit still and no have any thoughts, you may not be able to do it. This is the lack of control. Through regular practice and discipline of meditation, it is possible to clear the mind of this 'white noise' and retain more calm, composure and clarity. Studies show that sensory deprivation (dark, silence) for extended periods of time result in (temporary or permanent) underactivity of the brain's central executive. This affects our ability to process information and in some cases can be used to influence/interrogate/brainwash. However, short periods of sensory deprivation can be very useful tool in meditation. This is why meditation often takes places in a quiet room, with one's eyes closed, sitting still. Being able to 'step back' from the world is useful in remaining objective, getting perspective and also optimising one's mental health. Studies show that those who meditate are happier more of the time than those who do not. Whilst it takes up one's time, it is at least worth making a slight effort to be significantly happier in one's day to day experience, is it not?

• Japa meditation is a style where you chant a word or phrase to your self (silently or aloud) over and over again during your meditation. This is taught by many instructors and described in many books including Dr Wayne W. Dyer's book as listed in the psychology bibilography page. There are overlaps with Perfect Meditation described below.


• Happy organ meditation. You go through each organ in the body, and imagine that organ feeling excellent great and having a 'big smile on its face'! Imagine it vividly for one organ, then when you are satisfied it is 'happy', move onto the next organ. And so on. Also imagine your blood pressure increasing if it is indeed a little low, and each organ functioning perfectly, and imagine/visualise qi flowing through your body. Try this each morning upon waking.


• Another style is counting the breaths. As you inhale, you can also try expanding the muscles in your back to get the maximum inhalation. This is very good for focussing the mind and achieving proper oxygenation of the body. The mental focus can either be on a count (for example, count 1,2,3 on the inhale, then 1,2,3 on the exhale; then increasing to 1,2,3,4,5,6 after a time, then finally to 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9).


• Other styles can involve the visualisation of a scene or being somewhere, so example, floating in clear waters on a beautiful tropic island beach, or floating in the clouds, a religious figure or icon, or anything you choose.


• Another type of visualisation is where you imagine breathing in a pure white light on the in-breath and a thick black smoke on the out-breath (containing all bad energy, bad thoughts, bad toxins).


• Another type of visualisation is where you imagine breathing in Qi through your nose, down your throat and collecting it up in your belly (below diaphragm) and anus - a bright white light or energy. As you exhale, imagine pushing this energy through your perineum, up the back of your spine, up your neck, over the top of your head, down your forehead and down your tongue which is connected to the roof of your mouth. Repeat. Some limited practice of this exercise (short duration, regularly) is said to promote Qi flow, whereas excessive practice may result in energy imbalances potentially, according to TCM. As can be seen further below, William Cheung has a version of this exercise that is the other way around.

www.altmd.com/Articles/Qi-Gong-Sitting-Meditation


• Another style is where you imagine an invisible but impenetrable shield around your body.


• One type of meditation uses technological aids to promote a deeper state of meditation, and specific brain wave frequences. These most commonly use binaural beats and are very powerful entrainment and meditation tools. One example is Dr Jeffrey Thompson's Brainwave Suite.
• There are many other forms of meditation. Maybe this is something you may want to investigate or research.

There are many many others exercises that can be performed during a meditation exercise. If you do try meditation, and your conscious mind cannot shut up and you cannot meditate without constantly thinking about things, then this is a sign that you really need to do much more, so that you can arrive at a point where your conscious mind is quieter, and you can fully let go when you want to. Of course, some of the problem may also be with your hormonal system, which often keeps on in a fight or flight response to some degree and makes it that much harder to calm the mind. It is important to be able to shut down your conscious mind to achieve any kind of mental calmness. To not be able to shut down one's conscious mind is to be a slave to it.

back to top

 
T'ai Chi Chu'an, Qi Gong and Yoga:

Other forms of breathing exercise, but utilising the whole body, are qi gong, t'ai chi chu'an and yoga. These are very good at exercising the body and the muscles gently, whilst improving co-ordination, controlling the breathing, relaxing the mind and increasing and ultimately being able to control one's internal energy (qi). As stated in the section above on Qi and Jing, these exercises, combined with Chinese Herbs, are one of the few ways of building up one's Jing.

The concept is that through natural, fluid and continuous motion, in combination with controlled and proper breathing, one clears and calms the mind. The breathing is co-ordinated with the actual movements, inhalation and exhalation, such that the breathing in a sense drives the physical motion. Meditation need not be performed sitting still and becoming stiff. If you are mentally/physically able to do one of these types of exercise, then you would be strongly recommended to do so. These will act to work together with any energetic treatment you are engaged in to increase its benefits and fill in the gaps between treatments. Daily practice is ideal.

The Qi Gong '8 Pieces Brocade' (a.k.a. 8 Section Brocade, 8 Treasures Chi Kung, Eight Pecies of Silk Brocade Qigong, Eight Silken Movements Qigong) and the Tai Chi Chu'an 'Yang Style 8-step form' are both quite easy to learn and quick to practice. Whilst Tai Chi is more complicated to learn as it is more a memory exercise than anything else (to start with), the Qi Gong 8 Pieces Brocade by contrast is much easier to learn and remember, and your Qi Gong instructor can show you this sequence. It is also demonstrated in various DVDs which can be purchased as training aids.

Shuxin Pingxue Gong is a Qi Gong Exercise that is relative easy to learn as well. Please note that one should try to receive tuition from the best possible instructor one can find. A bad instructor may cause you injury.

Another type of Qi Gong exercise is known usually as 'standing Qi Gong'. This essentially consists of standing with your feet flat on the floor, a shoulder width apart, sinking into your stance a little and bending the knees slightly, keeping a straight back and holding your arms out in front of you, as if you were 'hugging' or grasping a very thick tree trunk or similar cylinder. The fingers should be together and the palms of the hands should be facing your chest. Try to avoid raising or tensing your shoulders. You literally keep this stance for as long as you can. You may initially find it difficult as the muscles of the upper arms may 'burn' and fatigue quickly, but with regular practice you can hold the stance and position longer and longer. The exercise can be practised morning or evening. Taoist monks have been known to practice this every night whilst standing in a graveyard! Although this is of course not strictly necessary to reap the benefits of the exercise!! You may start off with 5 minutes and build up over a period of time to a whole hour at a time.

Keeping the extremities warm, in particular the hands and feet, is important to promote qi circulation. Cold hands or feet may also increase muscle tension throughout the body.

If you have CFS, or any other chronic illness, which you likely do if you are reading this, then daily practice of one of the more gentle forms of training above will help you in your recovery to full health.

back to top

 
Quantum Touch:

As mentioned above Quantum Touch is a beneficial therapy and useful for relaxation, both for the practitioner and the patient. Normally QT is practised on a patient by a practitioner, but there are a number of exercises that can be performed, as a discipline, by the practitioner, for grounding and also to improve the energy flow through the body. Such exercises can be practised regularly and probably provide similar benefits in terms of building up Qi and Jing as Qi Gong, T'ai Chi Chu'an and Yoga. The same applies to the discipline of Reiki. Please see the Quantum Touch section above for details about QT and for information about the Quantum Touch Manual which describes all these exercises.



back to top

 
Tai Chi Tapping Exercise:

There is a Tai Chi exercise that involves stimulating the body's meridians. This involves drums one's fists lightly over the body, arms and legs. It starts on above the groin and one moves up the central axis of the torso until one reaches the chest. One then drums the chest, each fist covering each 'pec', drumming the whole area left and right and up to just below the collar bone. This particular part of the exercise stimulates the lymph glands in the chest, and the overall lymphatic system in general. One then drums the central axis of the forehead, the top of the head, all the way to the back of the head and the neck. One then drums down one's back, either side of the spine, until one reaches the buttocks. One then drums the whole area of the buttocks, with one fist on each buttock. Then one drums down each arm (one at a time, using the opposite fist to do the drumming), down the outside of the arm onto the back of the hand, then up the inside of the arm until one reaches the armpit. One then performs a similar routine on the legs, down the outside of the leg and up the inside of the leg. One can perform this any time, but it is usually performed first thing in the morning to stimulate the body.

back to top

 
Cheung Meridian Therapy:

If you are interested in internal Chinese massage and meditations to promote qi circulation, then right click on the link below and select save target as, in order to download the William Cheung Seminar notes. These are my own personal seminar notes from 1998 and describe the 'Cheung Meridian Therapy' as taught by Grandmaster William Cheung.

They are simple massage and meditation exercises that you can perform at home. William Cheung a Grandmaster of Wing Chun Kung Fu and teacher of Bruce Lee. Yip Man was the only other Wing Chun Grandmaster to have taught Bruce Lee. Wing Chun formed the basis of Bruce Lee's own style Jeet Kune Do (JKD), the way of the intercepting fist. The views expressed in these notes are not necessarily those of this web site and should be read with this understanding.

Cheung Meridian Therapy

www.cheungswingchun.com/g/901/cheungs-meridian-therapy.html

back to top

 
Gentle Cardiovascular Exercise:

Gentle cardiovascular exercise is also good to promote qi circulation, to assist in overcoming qi stagnation and to stimulate the adrenal glands. Gentle exercise can also help to calm the mind and assist in sleeping better. A basic level of cardiovascular fitness is also good for the cirulation of blood and hence qi. This could be in the form of tai chi or qi gong, but also a gentle walk, every day or as often as you feel you have the energy to do and for as long as you feel you are physically able to do without injuring yourself or aggravating any existing injury. Some people will be able to do light weight training a couple of times a week without any negative effects on their energy levels or injuries. Remember to try to be aware of what your body can take, and where the line is between generating qi and using up your qi. Only you can figure this out for yourself, and it may change with time. As discussed above, regular cardiovascular exercise is important in maintaining blood/qi circulation, but it does not actually build up blood/qi. Disciplines such as Qi Gung, T'ai Chi Chu'an and Yoga are best performed for this purpose. This is discussed above in the Jing, Qi and Sex section.

back to top

 
Hydrotherapy - Hot and Cold Treatments:

Some practitioners hold that heat treatments (e.g. saunas), but specifically, brief, consecutive and repeated exposure to hot and cold assists in promoting the body's circulation, if applied locally or to the whole body. Whilst this may well be true, some people with particularly sensitive hormonal and nervous systems may find that this may result in an inability to sleep the same night. Others may argue that expose to extreme cold (e.g. a cold shower, ice packs) may act to cause the muscles to tighten up and shorten, and may exaccerbate muscle tension around injury areas. However, the technique does appear to have some beneficial effects. It may be best suited for those with injuries or tumors, i.e. localised problems, rather than system-wide problems like CFS. Those with a heart condition should consult their GP prior to engaging in any such activity! Those with very low mitochondrial function that significantly impacts their Cardiac function would do best to avoid this as it is likely to put excessive strain on the heart, and if you subscribe to Paul Cheney's theory, is the last thing you should be doing. You may want to consider Electromagnetic stimulation and or Lymphatic Massage instead which may be easier on your heart and work towards the same goal more gently.

• One method is to have an whole body shower using hot water for 15 seconds, then cold water for 15 seconds, then back to hot water, doing 10-12 consecutive sets of hot and cold in total. One may wish to vary the duration slightly to ensure that one covers all the body's surface area and the main areas are in fact cold before going back to hot water again. This may be easier using the shower wand/cord. This may be repeated up to twice a day. Some may find this process somewhat tiring, particularly after multiple sets. You may wish to adjust the protocol to suit you.


• An alternative is to use the shower wand/head and point it at a problem area, and expose that area to 15 seconds very hot (but not unbearable) water, then 15 seconds of cold water (coldest setting), as above - performing 10-12 consecutive sets of hot and cold. This may be repeated up to twice a day or as convenient. I have found this method quite energising.


• A third variation on this theme is to take a whole body hot shower, then switch to cold, as per the first example, but after this go back to hot. After warming up a little, you then go to a variation of the second method, but this time targeting the main organs of the body, i.e. the abdomen, from your 'balls' (assuming you have some) all the way up to the bottom of your rib cage, and also covering your sides (including liver, on your right side) and your back (from buttocks up to mid back - making sure to include the kidneys). It may take longer than 15 seconds to either heat up or cool down all these areas, so take as much time as you need, and then change the temperature as above. Perform 10-12 alternate sets of hot and cold on your abdomen/lower and mid-back. This overall procedure may be repeated up to twice a day. You may wish to vary the procedure or repititions to suit.


• A variation of this theme is to use a hot water bottle and ice pack (for slightly longer durations). Ice packs should have some kind of textile insulation as otherwise the skin can become blue/frozen/burnt. The 'optimum' skin colour is salmon pink. Perform at your own risk!


• Another variation is to use a steam sauna (or possibly FIR, although not as warming), and then have a cold shower afterwards or jump into a cold immersion pool, then get back in the sauna again and repeat. This may stress your heart somewhat! But it is good for simulating your circulation. Some people cannot sleep after a full on steam sauna session.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrotherapy

back to top


back to home