Muscle Testing
Our Goolwa Chiropractor, Dr. Cameron Briggs, performs tests on the muscles to determine if they can contract forcefully and, more specifically, if they have adequate nerve supply.
Nerve interference will result in poor muscle contraction. It may also result in cramping, referred pain, numbness and tingling. Invariably, it will lead to muscle weakness (often well before you are aware of it) making the muscles experience fatigue more easily. Many of you will feel tired and consequently exercise less (mistaking it for ageing fatigue) leading to a downward spiral of weakness and injury.
Muscle testing is not affected by your age, nor how much you exercise, nor even your handedness. The muscles should forcefully contract and protect/stabilize the neighbouring joints. If they do not, then any load will not be borne by the muscles but through the joints — whether you are gardening, lifting a baby etc — and may cause you a micro (or major) injury. The continued instability and repetitive injury often results in a chronic issue that is unable to fully heal itself.
Think of a person that has an unstable ankle joint. If that person performs an exercise on that unstable ankle, she often worsens the problem. It will not heal. It is the same for any unstable joint in your body. We need to restore your joint position sense, your nerve supply and ensure the muscles are contracting forcefully..
Through muscle testing and correct treatment protocols, our chiropractor Dr. Cameron, will stabilize the joint so that it can finally heal itself. Otherwise, it is akin to a wound constantly being irritated. How can it heal ?