Kinesiology is the scientific study of the movement of the human body. It concerns the physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Kinesiology is also defined as the scientific study of human kinematics.
Studying kinesiology can lead to a career in fitness, sports or health and wellness. Kinesiology specialists use their knowledge of human physiology and movement to help recover patients’ mobility and improve their lives through exercise. A kinesiology degree can serve as a pre-med qualification for certain careers in medicine, such as sports medicine, sports psychology, and pharmacology.
Traditional methods of scientific research, as well the experience of human movement in expressive, aesthetic, and verbal and non-verbal modes, bring the student to a broader understanding of humanity. Styles and meanings of movement vary across cultures and environments – awareness of these differences is critical to the study of Kinesiology.
The Origins of Kinesiology
Kinesiology is the study of the mechanics of body movements. It has an academic branch that focuses on anatomy and physiology of muscles and joints, and a clinical branch that uses manual muscle testing to assess health and organ function.
The term kinesiology was introduced in the US by Nils Posse, a Swedish gymnast, in 1886. The science of manual muscle testing was developed by R.W. Lovett, an orthopedic surgeon, in the early 1900s. Dr. George Goodheart, a chiropractor, pioneered applied kinesiology in 1964, linking muscle strength to acupuncture meridians and stimuli.
Dr. Alan Beardall, another chiropractor, expanded on Goodheart’s work and created clinical kinesiology in 1968. Energetic kinesiology is a more recent modality that evolved from these approaches.
Kinesiology VS Exercise Science
Exercise science professionals focus more on how the body adapts to exercise, and the field is more research-based, while kinesiology professionals focus more on how to increase physical activity and exercise and study how movement affects a person’s overall health.
By definition, exercise science is a specialty within the study of kinesiology–and therein lies the difference between the two. While kinesiology studies physical activity’s relationship with health, society, and quality of life, exercise science focuses on exercise and movement. Kinesiology professionals help individuals with movement-related issues and use techniques from traditional Chinese medicine.
Kinesiology can help you find what is wrong and give the body the tools for the job to get back to, and then maintain good health. Systematic Kinesiology uses simple, safe, precise muscle testing procedures to find problem areas. Kinesiology helps get to the root causes and does not just deal with the symptoms of a problem.
Applications of kinesiology to human health include biomechanics and orthopedics; strength and conditioning; sport psychology; motor control; skill acquisition and motor learning; methods of rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational therapy; and sport and exercise physiology.
How Kinesiology and Kinesiotaping Helps Athletic Performance
Kinesiology can help athletes in many ways. Kinesiotaping has many uses and is effective in helping athletes relieve muscle pain and soreness, reduce inflammation of the muscles, relax overused or overworked muscles, improve performance during endurance athletics, bring the body back into alignment, support muscles during a sporting event and aid in rehabilitation after a sports injury.
Kinesio tape is a thin, stretchy, elastic cotton strip with an acrylic adhesive. It is used for treating athletic injuries and a variety of physical disorders. Kinesiotaping is designed to facilitate the body’s natural healing process while providing support and stability to muscles and joints without restricting the body’s range of motion.
Kinesiotaping is used for treating athletic injuries and a variety of physical disorders. It can be used to treat conditions such as plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, shin splints, and back pain. Kinesiotaping is also used to help reduce swelling and inflammation in the body. It can be used to help improve circulation and lymphatic drainage, which can help reduce pain and promote healing.
Kinesiologists are often involved in rehabilitation, preventing injury and enhancing function or performance in sports, work, recreation, and exercise. While kinesiology is an area of scientific study, applied kinesiology is a practice used to manually test muscle strength.
Common Techniques Used in Kinesiology
Some of the techniques available in kinesiology therapy include acupressure, lymphatic massage, hypertonic muscle release, attention to reflex, trigger and body points, remedies such as flower essences and homeopathics, and nutritional advice. Understanding some of these methods can give you an idea of what to expect in a typical kinesiology therapy session.
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Acupressure– is a type of massage therapy in which manual pressure is applied to specific points on the body. It is a practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that is similar to acupuncture, except that it uses fingertip pressure instead of needles. Acupressure is used for its therapeutic effects, such as relieving tension or pain. It can also be a procedure for stopping blood flow from an injured blood vessel by inserting needles into nearby tissue.
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Lymphatic Massage– is a gentle massage that encourages the movement of lymph fluid around the body. This is a technique used to reduce inflammation and improve circulation. Current research suggests that a related technique called manual lymphatic drainage massage, in which therapists rub and lightly touch parts of the body to encourage movement and lymph drainage, may be effective in reducing inflammation.
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Hypertonic muscle release– is a technique developed to release muscles that have become hypertonic or extremely tight and have a hard time releasing on their own or with normal stretching. It is a type of massage that can help relieve tight muscles.
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Homeopathy– is a medical system that uses tiny amounts of natural substances to stimulate the body’s own healing ability. It is based on the principle of treating the individual’s mental, emotional, and physical symptoms with remedies that produce similar effects. Homeopathy is a holistic system that sees the mind and body as an integrated whole and disease as an expression of disharmony. It is a gentle and natural healing system that works with the body to relieve symptoms, restore vitality, and improve overall health.
Conclusion
Kinesiology is a fascinating field that studies human movement and how it affects our health and well-being. It is an interdisciplinary field that combines anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, psychology and neuroscience to understand how the body moves and how we can improve our movement patterns.
Kinesiology has many applications in sports medicine, rehabilitation, ergonomics and fitness. It can help athletes improve their performance, prevent injuries and recover from injuries. It can also help people with chronic conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson’s disease and stroke to improve their mobility and quality of life.
Overall, kinesiology is an exciting field that has the potential to improve our health and well-being in many ways.
