How a NYC Applied Kinesiologist Uses Neurovascular Pts for Better Physical and Emotional Wellbeing.

First what are neurovascular points?

Neurovascular points are points discovered in the 1930’s by chiropractor Dr. Terence Bennett. He had found via x-ray fluoroscope that stimulating these points would increase blood circulation to the organs that were associated with these points. The increased blood flow would increase the flow of nutrients and O2 to the associated organ and have the positive effect of improving the function of the associated organ.

Dr. George Goodheart who founded Applied Kinesiology took up Bennett’s work and noticed that the points could also turn weak muscles on. Dr. Goodheart then observed that many internal organs had reflex connections in the muscles and joints and along with a cross reference via the Chinese acupuncture system that certain muscles were associated w/ certain organs

Neurovascular points are mainly located on the face and head; they are stimulated by lightly pressing on the point until you feel a pulse and as most of these points have a right and left side on the head (or face).you would keep on pressing until the pulses matched each other.

One of the most well known points is used in Emotional Release Technique. These points are associated with the Pectoralis Major muscle and the Stomach. These associations are interesting as in our culture we talk about getting our stomach in a knot or about having chest tightness when we are upset. The points are the first two bumps on our forehead; see PMC at http://backintoit.com/tag/goodheart/  

The technique is simple: think about what is bothering you as you hold these points and then make a statement as how you will solve the problem. For example, if you have anxiety about talking to someone who always makes you angry; think about why they make you angry and then make a statement such as “I will not let “name” make me angry, his issues are his and not mine” or something simpler. Say the statement out loud as you hold the pulse and keep on repeating the phase until you feel the pulses becoming equal.

Try it and let me know!

 © 2011-Dr. Vittoria Repetto

 

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice at 455 W. 23rd St , NYC 10011 ; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com.

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-Terrace-Chiropractic-Applied-Kinesiology/109622855768202 

 

 

Why Sometimes Being Sick Is The Healthiest Thing You Can Do For Yourself!!

Yes I know you are scratching your head over that title, wondering what the heck am I talking about.

A case in point happened this weekend and the following days in my office.

Last Saturday afternoon, I noted that I had a sensation of nausea and by the time I got home, I had the “runs.” When I took my temperature, I was 100F –another sign that my body was fighting some sort of infection but not “medically significant” or dangerous. http://www.medicinenet.com/aches_pain_fever/article.htm

So I heated up some chicken broth, added some extra sea salt to it and drank a lot of water in order to help aid whatever my body was trying to get rid of and prevent any dehydration that would have made me sicker. The rest of Saturday as well as Sunday was a cycle of sleep (the body’s best anti-oxidant), waking up to go to the bathroom, liquid intake, work on my neuro-lymphatic pts and acu-points for my intestines, television, bathroom, lymphatic/acu-points,  sleep, liquid, sleep, etc.

 But by Sunday night, my temperature was back to normal and the trips to the bathroom were getting more spaced apart. On Monday, I got a friend to stop by and pick up some “sticky rice” at a local Chinese restaurant to help to start to slow up the runs. Tuesday, I was able to go out to a food store for some chicken & noodle soup, some yogurt and a bottle of Pepto-Bismol. By the time evening arrived and only one bowel movement in the mid afternoon & normal temperature I knew that I could go into work the next day.

At work on Weds, one of my newer patients came in complaining of a lung & bronchial infection for which he was taking antibiotics which started after he was treated for diarrhea while on a trip with corticosteroids. In other words, immune suppression of his natural intestinal response led to a lung infection.

As an Applied Kinesiologist I know that the Lung and the Large intestine are Yin /Yang partners in the body’s health.

For people like myself in non-allopathic medicine (chiropractic, acupuncturist, naturopaths, etc) symptoms are not only clues to what disease or problem is affecting the patient but also symptoms can express the body’s attempt to heal itself. Therefore symptoms should not be covered up by treatment. Suppression of symptoms did not heal the body or cure the disease, the illness just moved to another area

In our modern society, we have been trained (mostly) by the pharmaceutical companies to equate symptoms of illness w/ an illness or a disease that needs to be suppressed.

Have heartburn; take an antacid or proton inhibitor..effective in the short  term but can cause if used long term diseases like osteoporosis and dementia due to nutrition deficiencies caused by the heartburn drugs.

Instead how about changing your diet or seeing if the body needs a hiatal hernia fixed or some digestive enzymes.

So the next time, you have vague symptoms like coughing, slight fever, diarrhea, tiredness, etc, please instead of masking these symptoms with drugs, think about what may be causing the symptoms and consult a non-allopathic healer to help your body fight what is causing the symptoms.

 © 2011-Dr. Vittoria Repetto

 

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice at 455 W. 23rd St , NYC 10011; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com.

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-Terrace-Chiropractic-Applied-Kinesiology/109622855768202

How a NYC Applied Kinesiologist Treats Heartburn or Acid Reflex

Heartburn, also known as acid reflex, is a burning sensation in the chest, just behind the breastbone or just below the breastbone. The sensation of pain or discomfort often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw. The sensation gets worse on lying down or bending over.

Chronic heartburn is called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is a relatively new classification of chronic heartburn (less than 10 yrs) which seems to have appeared at the same time as two new classifications of drugs H-2-receptor blockers and Proton pump inhibitors which were stronger and provided longer relief than similar antacids.

However  all three mentioned drug classifications by different mechanisms stop the production of stomach acid; stomach acid which we need in order to not only digest food but help us absorb essential nutrients like Calcium and Vitamin B12.

Now one of the possible causes of heartburn or acid reflex is a hiatal hernia. When one part of the internal body pushes into another part where it should not be, it is called a hernia.  The hiatus is an a opening in the diaphragm muscle that allows for the passage of the esophagus as it attaches to the stomach and the passage of the aorta, the inferior vena cava and nerves.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphragm_%28anatomy%29 and observe the way the diaphragm muscle is constructed. There are muscle fibers that wrap around both sides of the esophagus.

A hiatal hernia is when due to diaphragm weakness, the stomach slips upward through the hiatus into the space where the esophagus is causing both nerve irritation and slippage of stomach acid into the esophagus causing the sensation of heartburn or GERD.

 In applied kinesiology, we affect the diaphragm by manipulation of the 4^th & 5^th cervical vertebrae which  then forms the phrenic nerve and innervates the diaphragm and the stomach and esophagus vi a manipulation of the greater splanchnic nerve  at 5^th to 9^th thoracic vertebrae and working the

 neuro-lymphatics and neuro-vasculars for these organs.

The cranial system is checked for involvement of the parasympathetic (vagus nerve).  Acupoints  for the stomach, and lung may checked for involvement.

We would gently after these procedures try to gently manipulate the movement of the stomach back into its proper place and then strengthen the diaphragm muscles; give breathing exercises for the patient to do at home to stop the hernia from happening again are  included as well as nutrients like zinc to heal any erosions from the reflex of acid.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heartburn-gerd/DS00095.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiatal-hernia/DS00099

 http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/hiatal-hernia

 http://www.naturalnews.com/026836_heartburn_GERD_drugs.html

 http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=e0498803-7f62-4563-8d47-5fe33da65dd4&chunkiid=21655

 http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5560474&page=1

 www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/part_5/chapter_27.html

 http://drvittoriarepetto.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/how-an-applied-kinesiologist-uses-neuro-lympathics-to-improve-health/

 http://drvittoriarepetto.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/technique-summary-applied-kinesiology/

 © 2011-Dr. Vittoria Repetto

 

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com.

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site.

Straw Men on Parade: When Research Findings Get Misrepresented

The simplest way to explain a straw man argument is that it is a fallacy based upon the misrepresentation of an opponent’s position.

It may oversimplify the opponent’s position or quote it out of context, stacking the deck so one’s argument may run over the opponent with the crushing totality of a Panzer tank division. In its worst incarnation, the straw man misrepresentation is deliberate and only the weakest target is chosen- that target is then held to represent the totality of the opponet’s being.

What is obvious and disturbing is that straw men are not just marketing ploys that we’ve become jaded to seeing in television commercials; they are found even in the highest echelons of peer-reviewed journals in medical literature. Straw men seem to have been particularly dominant in publications critical of alternative medical approaches, even appearing in at least one instance in a pharmaceutical company’s attempt to denigrate another company

http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=54783

For a discussion on the correct method for testing the need for nutritional supplements via Applied Kinesiology, please go to  http://drvittoriarepetto.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/the-correct-way-to-do-nutritional-evaluation-by-muscle-testing-in-applied-kinesiology/

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com or www.westbroadwaychiropractic.com

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site

Want to be in the know on holistic information and postings? Click here: Facebook | West Broadway Chiropractic & Applied Kinesiology 

Or join me at Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrVRepetto

Applied Kinesiology Methods for Sciatica and Restless Leg Syndrome

The article, Applied Kinesiology Methods for Sciatica and Restless Leg Syndrome authored by Dr. Rosner, ICAK-USA Research Director and Dr. Scott Cuthbert, ICAK-USA Board Member was recently published in the Summer 2010 issue of the ICS Review, The Journal of the Iowa Chiropractic Society.

You can read it at: http://gamedaydr.com/articles/aksciaticarestlessleg.pdf

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com or www.westbroadwaychiropractic.com

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site

Want to be in the know on holistic information and postings? Click here: Facebook | West Broadway Chiropractic & Applied Kinesiology 

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The Basics of Applied Kinesiology

Applied kinesiologists use the following skills:

Challenge is an essential diagnostic procedure used to determine the body’s ability to cope with external stimuli, which can be physical, chemical, or mental.  An example of a physical challenge is pushing on a skeletal joint to determine an irritation that produces a muscle strength change. Chemical challenge may occur when one inhales potentially toxic chemicals or chews nutritional factors.  Mental challenge includes thought processes, either pleasant or unpleasant to the individual. After an external stimulus is applied, muscle-testing procedures are done to determine a change in the muscle strength as a result of the stimulus.

Therapy localization is another diagnostic procedure in AK that consists of placing the patient’s hand over areas of suspected involvement, then using muscle testing procedures to determine any change in strength. Placing the patient’s hand on different locations stimulates nerve endings and/or possibly changes the patient’s electromagnetic energy field. Therapy localization is strictly a diagnostic tool in AK that is to be combined with the other diagnostic findings to arrive at a final conclusion.

Nutritional evaluation in AK is done as part of your total examination. The muscle test is used to confirm the other findings your doctor will use from laboratory testing, nutritional diaries, blood and saliva testing, and your history. Evaluation of nutritional products and foods by using taste to determining how your body reacts to them, as observed by MMT(manual muscle testing) , is an important addition to providing optimal nutritional support for patients who need it.

From: http://www.appliedkinesiology.com.au/

For more information on  nutritional evaluation, please read: http://drvittoriarepetto.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/the-correct-way-to-do-nutritional-evaluation-by-muscle-testing-in-applied-kinesiology/

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com or www.westbroadwaychiropractic.com

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site

Want to be in the know on holistic information and postings? Click here: Facebook | West Broadway Chiropractic & Applied Kinesiology 

Or join me at Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrVRepetto

What is the Triad of Health in Applied Kinesiology

Triad of Health

The Triad of Health with structure at the base is the foundation of AK. A human form represents structure and postural balance. A circle of icons represents important treatment avenues used in AK.
 

N The functional evaluation of the nervous system is what the MMT (manual muscle testing)  offers, and is the most important area of investigation in AK and chiropractic examination.

NL The NeuroLymphatic reflexes and the lymph system is an important part of AK examination and treatment.

NV The NeuroVascular reflexes and the blood vascular system is also evaluated and treated in AK.

CSF The cranial-sacral system is an important component in nervous system function, and AK has advanced the diagnosis of cranial dysfunctions dramatically.

AMC The acupuncture meridian system is also involved in AK examination, and AK has made some of the first advancements to this ancient system of healing in the Western world.

A great deal of new information has been learned about the body’s function by evaluating how nerves and muscles react to physical, chemical, and mental stimuli. AK examination will use your own body as the laboratory of investigation, taking into consideration a wide range of influences and functional disturbances that are producing the health problems that you are want corrected. As your treatment progresses, you will observe muscles that once functioned poorly are now strong and that your body is functioning as well or better than normal.

 From: http://www.appliedkinesiology.com.au/

 For information on Cranial Sacral therapy, please read http://drvittoriarepetto.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/cranial-sacral-therapy-in-applied-kinesiology/

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com or www.westbroadwaychiropractic.com

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site

Want to be in the know on holistic information and postings? Click here: Facebook | West Broadway Chiropractic & Applied Kinesiology 

Or join me at Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrVRepetto

Characteristics of Applied Kinesiology

Diagnoses and treats the primary cause of neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction, i.e . muscle impairment and weakness.

Adds patient-specific information to the standard history, physical diagnosis, and laboratory tests.

Provides an interactive assessment of an individual’s functional health status that is non-invasive, risk-free, and not equipment intensive.

Improves the reliability of examination tools (motion palpation, cranio-sacral palpation, pulse-diagnosis, and postural analysis) by the use of manual muscle testing.

Helps the doctor to understand functional symptomatic complexes when standard diagnosis and laboratory tests show no cause for the symptoms.

Examines all sides of the triad of health.

Evaluates the nervous system’s control of the body.

Integrates function of the meridian system (acupuncture) into the examination.

Examines function before symptoms are present to prevent or delay the onset of pathologic processes.

Interdisciplinary approach – fits the best treatment to the patient’s specific needs.

For additional information http://www.icak.com/.

From: http://www.appliedkinesiology.com.au/

For more information, please read http://drvittoriarepetto.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/technique-summary-applied-kinesiology/

 

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com or www.westbroadwaychiropractic.com

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site

Want to be in the know on holistic information and postings? Click here: Facebook | West Broadway Chiropractic & Applied Kinesiology 

Or join me at Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrVRepetto

PTSD and Applied Kinesiology Techniques to Help

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder that’s triggered by a traumatic event; sufferers may have the following symptoms of nightmares, insomnia, flashbacks, rage, emotional numbing, hypervigiliance, hyperarousal, depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts and avoidance.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/DS00246

 There are a number of techniques that can help the PSTD patient cope better w/ their stresses and there are even techniques that the patient can practice at home.

 The first one involves the adrenal glands, an organ involved in our sympathetic reflex or “the fight or flight reaction” Continuous stress can cause the adrenals not to function optimally; symptoms can include fatigue, insomnia, depression brain fog, etc. if the adrenals are involved, then the PTSD patient might present w/ weak Sartorius muscle, a craving for salty foods, blood pressure that drops upon sudden standing or their pupils may have a sluggish reaction to light.

 Help for the adrenals involves stimulation of the neurolymphatics and neurovascular points associated w/ the Sartorius muscle and it’s link via the Chinese meridian system to the adrenals. This is a technique that the patient can do at home.

 Another muscle to look at is the Pectoralis Clav. Major that is associated to the stomach via the Chinese meridian system. We know that anxiety and stress being a predisposing factor in stomach dysfunction raging form “butterflies” in the stomach, to a gastric ulcer to emotional chest pain.

 The patient’s Pectoralis muscle would be tested while recalling a traumatic event If the muscle tests weak, then the doctor contacts the emotional neurovascular reflex pt until a synchronous pulse is felt bilaterally. Then the patient again recalls the traumatic event and the pectorals are re-tested. If the pectorals test strong, then the emotional recall is lessened in its ability to affect the patient. And the patient is taught to do the reflex work at home.

 Another technique involves negating a patient’s self-sabotaging behavior. We have the patient speak a positive statement such as “I want to be healthy” and if that statement causes any muscle to be weak then we know that there is a conflict in the mind-body connection. We then have the patient say the positive phase again while holding either points on the Small Intestine meridian; the point used is the one that allows the previously weak muscle to test strong. An acu-aid is placed on the point and the patient instructed to tap the point if they feel their symptoms creeping up on them.

 Another technique is the Temporal Tap which works as an auto-suggestion. The patient is taught to tap the temporo-sphenoidal line on the side of his head while inputting a negative statement such as “I have no need to yell.” on the right side  And then the patient inputs a positive statement such “I will be calm”.

 This technique works wonders for insomnia.

 Another technique involves holding acupuncture points while the patient thinks about his fears or anger or anxiety and we observe if that “causes a muscle to go weak; meridians associated w/ fear may be the kidney/bladder meridian or the stomach or the liver/gall bladder for anger issues. Then the patient (or the doctor) taps the beginning and end point of the meridian involved and the muscle is re-tested as the patient thinks again about his problem. A positive outcome would be a strong muscle test and the patient feeling that his fear has lessened

As you see with testing by a doctor using applied kinesiology, the patient can actively take a role in becoming healthier, more calm, more social. etc

© 2010-Dr. Vittoria Repetto

 

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com.

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site.

The Art and Science of Muscle Testing in Applied Kinesiology

As some of you know, muscle testing is a basic in AK. When you test a muscle, you test not only the condition of the muscle itself, but the joint it crosses or moves, the spinal innervations of that muscle, the Chinese meridian (acupuncture energy line) associated w/ that muscle and the organ associated w/ that Chinese meridian and some cranial-sacral faults.

In order to derive this information, muscle testing must be done accurately. You must have a firm knowledge of anatomy (the science) and practice on hundreds of people before muscle testing becomes a skill (or an art); just like driving a car or cooking. Practice makes perfect!

This was hammered into my head the other month by a chiropractor who though she advertised that she did AK; it was obvious by her muscle testing that she did not have the knowledge or the skill.

First the muscle must be tested in the best position for that muscle to hold a contraction. If there is a weak muscle, patients have a natural tendency to recruit other muscles and they will shift their body position to gain an advantage.

Second it’s important that the doctor use the amount of strength appropriate for that patient If a patient has been sick for a long time or frail or a lot smaller then the doctor needs not to overpower the muscle being tested. The doctor needs to make sure the patient understands which way the doctor is pushing (or pulling) and the position in which the extremity needs to be held.

The test should not be done at such a fast rate that the patient never has a chance to develop their resistance vs. the direction of the muscle test. There is danger of muscle or tendon or joint injury if you try to overpower a muscle.

The doctor also needs to stabilize the patient and make sure that the stabilizing hand is not on a tender or painful area as this can cause the patient to let go during testing. Also the doctor needs to careful not to repeatedly test on a painful or pathological joint such as bursitis or a rotator cuff tear. The doctor should take the joint through a full range of motion before testing.

Many of the chiropractic colleges teach Applied Kinesiology as a class however that is not sufficient to master the art and science of muscle testing.

One of best ways to know that the chiropractor you are seeing has been trained properly and is committed to the practice of AK  is to see if they have been certified by the founding organization of Applied Kinesiology which is the International College of Applied Kinesiology (www.icak.com & www.icakusa.com ).

The organization authorizes certification courses to licensed doctors (chiropractors, medical doctors, dentists, osteopaths) w/ rigorous practice of technique and knowledge of muscle anatomy and physiology and then both a written and practical test. These doctors are listed at www.icakusa.com/doctors

© 2010-Dr. Vittoria Repetto

Want more information on Dr. Vittoria Repetto and her NYC Applied Kinesiology/Chiropractic practice; please go to www.drvittoriarepetto.com.

And please check out the Patient Testimonials at the “Our Practice” page at the web site.