Behavioral Kinesiology

John Diamond, M.D.

Behavioral Kinesiology has been developed by John Diamond, M.D., and is based upon his many years of practice in psychiatry, preventive medicine, psychosomatic medicine and his association with Dr. George Goodheart’s work in applied kinesiology. As well, Behavioral Kinesiology arose out of Dr. Diamond’s deep, long-standing interest in the humanities, particularly in the role of artistic expression and creative impulses in the therapeutic situation.

Behavioral Kinesiology is an integrated system for assessing and evaluating the effects of all stimuli, internal and external, on the body, enabling us to arrive at a new understanding and synthesis of the integrative action of the body energy system. This discipline leads to an easy assessment of the degree of stress under which an individual is functioning and total assessment of his Body Energy Systems in both their physical and psychological aspects. From these investigations and kinesiological testings, stress reduction and correction of emotional attitudes and a rebalancing and enhancing of the body energy can be facilitated. This leads to an improvement in overall health, then to the Primary Prevention of disease and then to the ultimate goal of Positive Health. BK is a holistic, non-manipulative program in which the doctor teaches the individual techniques for identifying sources of stress and correcting them.

  1. Introduction and TheoryThe five primary tenets on which Behavioral Kinesiology rests are:
    1. the critical importance of the reduction of stress and the associated emotional attitudes. All disease is seen as ultimately resulting from stress causing energy imbalances throughout the body.
    2. the essential role of Primary Prevention (prevention before pathological change, either mental or physical). At this early stage the energy imbalances may be described as being fluid or dynamic and readily amenable to correction. If the stress is prevented, if the mental attitudes are changed, then primary prevention will be operant such that disease will not occur.
    3. that it is the responsibility of the individual to take charge of his own treatment, of his own way through life, and that the role of the “doctor” is that of teacher – to explain and to help the individual to see exactly what he is doing in his lifestyle which is causing the stress on him and then to recognize what he is doing to lower his own healing energy, thus preventing the natural healing of the body and mind from taking place. The individual has superimposed maladaptive behavioral pattern upon himself which have pulled him away from his natural state, from his “normal” state, and he must recognize and alter them.
    4. that great healing forces exist within us and in nature to enable repair to occur once the stress is reduced and the attitudes are corrected. It is recognized that natural methods are essential. Unnatural methods, particularly synthetic drugs, diminish the life energy, the Vis Medicatrix Naturae, the healing power of Nature. Whilst these drugs may provide symptomatic relief they ultimately lower the life energy, retard the true healing process, and do nothing to correct the stress and the attitudinal problems which are at the base of the disease patterns which are operant.
    5. that all problems begin at the energy level. The first physical manifestation of imbalance within the body is at an energy level and corrections are possible at that level. Then superimposed on this general energy imbalance are the metabolic and nutritional problems which also require attention.
  2. Some Applications of Behavioral Kinesiology to Dentistry
    • Dental Stress
    • The Patient’s Contribution to Dental Stress
    • The Thymus GlandThe importance of the thymus gland cannot be overestimated. It has many functions. Six of the most important ones are:
      1. The thymus gland plays a key role in the body’s immunological functions.
      2. The thymus gland performs endocrinological functions.
      3. The thymus gland is actively involved in the supervision of lymphatic drainage.
      4. The thymus gland monitors and balances the body energy systems.
      5. The thymus gland serves as the link between the mind and the body, being the first physical organ to be affected by a mental attitude.
      6. The thymus gland serves as the seat of the life energy (the thymos). Fundamental to a program of Primary Prevention and Positive Health is an understanding of the thymus gland’s functions and techniques for stimulating it. When the thymus monitoring system “breaks down” under stress, then the meridian energy imbalances go uncorrected and the patterns for disease are set.
    • The Patient’s Thymus Gland
    • Some Beneficial Effects to the Dentist of Treating the Thymus Gland
  3. The Holistic Health Care Approach Through Behavioral Kinesiolgy
    • The Face-Body LinkBehavioral Kinesiology has given us an understanding of how psychosomatic illness occurs. Every emotional state causes changes in the muscles of ex pression typical of that emotional state, even though we may not see external changes in the muscles. Knowing what each facial muscle relates to enables the dentist to “read” his patient during interviews, operative and counseling procedures. Each muscle of facial expression will, in nearly all patients, trigger problems in the specific acupuncture meridian and associated muscles and organs. For example, the Corrugator Supercilii muscles normally cause frowning. Every time these muscles are contracted, when the individual is in a state of energy imbalance, an abnormality occurs in the liver meridian and then travels into the associated muscles and organs. Nearly all patients who have this form of chronic frown will have a chronic liver problem. We should be able to feel an emotional state and show our feelings through our facial expression and utterances to other people without at the same time affecting our own bodies. This abnormal linkage between muscle of facial expression and vocalization and acupuncture circuit can be blocked by numerous techniques developed through the research of Behavioral Kinesiology. This is very important in that it has enabled us to block the major route for the somatic expression of emotion, breaking the psycho-to-somatic chain.
    • Vulnerability to Stress and Tongue Position
    • The Temporomandibular Joint and the Diamond Gait
    • The Tooth-Organ Meridian Link
  4. An Introduction to the Environmental Stress Reduction Program for the Dentist and Patient
    • Dental Appliance and Materials
    • The Importance of Posture
  5. Some Other Applications of Behavioral Kinesiology for Dentistry
    • Nutriment
    • The Autonomic Nervous System
    • Speech Problems
    • The Therapeutic Voice
    • The Gag Reflex
    • Homeopathy
  6. Summary
    • The Diamond Gait – A Giant Step to Prevention

Excerpts from Full text Article published in “The Best of Basal Facts”

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Dr. Gerald H. Smith

About The Author

Dr. Gerald H. Smith is certified by the World Organization for Natural Medicine to practice natural medicine globally. He is also a certified dental practitioner. His broad base of post-graduate training in dentistry and natural medicine enabled him to integrate many health care specialties.