Helping clients with Physio and Systematic Kinesiology
Helping clients with Physio and Systematic Kinesiology

Margaret Fitzgibbon
As a physiotherapist for the past 11 years, I encounter clients on a daily basis who have had an acute injury, e.g. ligament, muscle and joint injuries. When there is a mechanism of injury, a specific movement or event that caused the damage, it usually is easy enough to determine the type or structures affected. The type of treatment/ rehabilitation that will be administered and usually the length of time it will take to get back to pre-injury levels of mobility and comfort is also assessed.
That said, in private practice, I find a large percentage of clients who come in with pain which is of unknown origin. It started insidiously without any known event and may be intermittent over time, it often progresses or affects activities of daily living significantly, and then they seek Physiotherapy intervention.
As with all Physiotherapy assessments we would consider whether there are any red flags, orange flags or yellow flags present for the client. As we know if someone had red or orange flags the treating clinician should refer onward to the appropriate speciality or A & E.
When it comes to yellow flags, like beliefs, unhelpful beliefs about pain, worry, fear, anxiety, and emotional responses to the injury, this might suggest a poor treatment outcome. Chronic stress is also harmful to the physical body yet while I often found I would be aware of this, but I did not have any treatment tools, other than trying to reassure the client, using explain pain books, or gaining the client’s trust.
Assisting Clients using a Whole Person Approach
Having found Systematic Kinesiology over three years ago and completed the advanced training, I know I am much more able to assist clients in removing these barriers which gives their body the right environment to a full recovery. The approach works on the principle of “MCPE”, using Kendall style muscle testing, helps to ascertain the root causes of the client’s issues. It helps reveal other way to promote health, wellness and a return from injury or pain. In simple terms this means that the “whole person” is considered when treating clients and less focussed on symptoms only.
The MCPE approach, which covers the main areas of Mental (Mental, or emotional upset, past or present) issues, which can vary from fear of injury, to work or relationship problems or worries; Chemical issues (can range from food sensitivities, to bacterias and viruses to poor nutrient absorption); Physical issues (these are the areas we are already aware of, joints, muscle, ligament, tendon, spinal issues); and Energetic (disturbances in the meridian system) which can affect muscle strength and function.
Case Study
Recently I met a lovely lady, who had been involved in a serious accident six months prior to her visit. She had had physiotherapy intervention for 3 months, consisting of manual therapy and soft tissue release, but she felt she hadn’t improved much over this period and then sought osteopathic treatments for a further 3 months. Although she felt both did have some benefit in the short term, the pain, tension and restriction in movement had not resolved.
When this client cam eto me we established that her sartorius muscle was a primary weakness (which in Kinesiology is found to be associated with the Triple Warmer meridian and the organ association: adrenal). I was able to determine that she needed chemical, energetic and emotional work for the weakness to be fully resolved. Her treatment consisted of working on the associated points for the adrenal organ, releasing chronic stressful memories of the accident and fear at the time of impact, and giving advice on appropriate nutrition that would help her system recover (such as B & C vitamins).
This is why I find Systematic Kinesiology as a fantastic additional tool in my Physiotherapy practice.
As a physiotherapist we are already familiar with muscle testing which is a bonus; yet the difference in this approach is that we can consider issues other than those physical in nature. On her return visit two weeks later she felt her symptoms had improved by 75%, her body had released some of the energetic, physical and emotional tension from the accident, her muscle testing results had improved, and her body seemed to have started to relax and allow recovery to happen.
Introduction to Systematic Kinesiology for Physiotherapists
As a KinesiologyZone Course Leader, I’m delighted to be running CPD training specifically for physiotherapists. The weekend training is where I share these additional ways to help our clients. The course is set up for you to learn how to easily identify other areas that may be blocking a client’s full recovery. Taking into account the meridian system (without the need for acupuncture needles) you’ll learn how to balance the body using various points (Chapman and Bennett points), testing for basic food sensitivities, learning the relationship between specific emotions and certain muscle groups. On top of that you’ll learn an emotional destress technique that is easy to learn. The weekend will equip you with simple yet powerful skills that will help a wide range of clients.
To find out more about the next course simply click this link
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of Systematic Kinesiology and how I use it in clinical practice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Margaret@kinesiologyzone.com
Margaret Fitzgibbon’s clinic is based in Westport, Co Mayo.
Since finding Systematic kinesiology, it’s has changed the way I look at my own health and well-being and that of my clients. The ability to ascertain what is affecting my health most at any given time, be its emotional stress, my diet or lack of energy, through muscle testing, allows me to simply find out what I would be best focusing to create change quickly. It has also helped me find long lasting ways to balance my lifestyle for promote my own physical & emotional health.
With regard to the clients I see in the clinic, the main response I hear post muscle testing and explaining the root cause of their personal issue is “that makes sense”. It allows clients to feel the effects specific thoughts, emotions or stressors have on the strength of their physical body & teaches them ways to reduce the effect. I love that it allows me to work holistically with the entire person and find the root cause or causes of their issue be it digestion, diet, emotion or energy. It makes me feel fulfilled as a practitioner and “makes lots of sense to me”.
Since Systematic Kinesiology has made such an impact on my clients I hope to inspire other physios to learn this integrated healthcare solution and am delighted to be offering Systematic Kinesiology courses to physiotherapists around Ireland.