Manual Muscle Testing (MMT; German Manueller Muskeltest) is the main diagnostic tool of Applied Kinesiology (#54).

What is tested. Isometric testing of muscle response to assess the functional state of the nervous, muscular and meridian systems.

Goodheart's Discovery

1964 — the birth of kinesiology. The founder: George J. Goodheart, Jr., D.C. (1964).

The main discovery. Muscle weakness reflects not only local damage, but also imbalances in linked organs, meridians and biochemical processes. The muscle becomes a "window" into the system.

Testing Protocol

1. The patient holds a limb in a specific position (isolation of the tested muscle)
2. The practitioner applies increasing pressure (does not jerk or push)
3. Assessment: "lock" (the muscle holds the position) or "unlock" (the muscle "gives way")

The Key Principle

Not strength, but quality of response. What is tested is not absolute muscle strength, but the quality of neuromuscular response — speed of engagement, stability, adaptivity under load.

Use in the Triad of Health

Three aspects in one test. In the Triad of Health (T096), MMT is used to diagnose structural, biochemical and mental-emotional factors simultaneously.

Criticism

Reproducibility varies. Reproducibility of results between practitioners varies; meta-analyses show moderate inter-rater reliability.