13421 Parker Commons Blvd Unit 102, Fort Myers, FL 33912
Mon & Wed 9-6 · Tue & Thu 9-5 · Sat 8-1(239) 441-2275
Interactive body map
The Pain Is in Your Knee. The Problem Might Be in Your Gut.
Every muscle in your body is connected to an organ, a gland, an acupuncture meridian, a spinal level and a nutrient. Pick the place that hurts and see what that muscle is wired to.
Pick a spot on the body. You will get the muscles that live there, the organ or gland each one answers to, what that connection usually feels like, and what it points your doctor toward.
Nothing here is a diagnosis. It is the map three doctors at Crown use to decide where to look first.
Muscle and organ connections by body region
2 muscles connect here
Head and Neck
Neck tension is treated as posture almost every time. In this framework the front of the neck answers to the stomach and the sides answer to your sinuses.
Neck flexors and levator scapulae
Organ or glandStomach
MeridianStomach meridian
What it feels like
The front of your neck giving out holding your head up
The rope of tension from the top of the shoulder into the neck
Tightness at the base of the skull that turns into a headache
What commonly drives it
Low stomach acid
Eating on the run
A jaw that clenches at night
The emotional pattern
Earth element, the stomach, spleen and pancreas
Worry. Overthinking. Chewing the same thought all night.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the neck flexors against light resistance, checks the stomach reflex points, and looks at your jaw, because these three travel together more often than not.
Sternocleidomastoid
Organ or glandSinuses
What it feels like
Pressure behind the eyes and cheekbones alongside neck tension
Headaches that start at the front of the head
Pain turning your head to look over your shoulder
What commonly drives it
Sinus and allergy load, which is year round here
Dairy and mucus production
Jaw and bite mechanics
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the sternocleidomastoid and checks the sinus reflex points along the cheek and under the collarbone.
Five muscles hold your shoulder together and in applied kinesiology every one of them answers to something different. Which one tests inhibited is the whole question.
Deltoid
Organ or glandLungs
MeridianLung meridian
What it feels like
Pain lifting the arm out to the side
A shoulder that feels unstable rather than stiff
Strain at the AC joint on the very top of the shoulder
What commonly drives it
Shallow breathing that never fully empties the chest
Allergy and sinus load, which is heavy in Southwest Florida
Grief and sadness, which land in the lungs in this framework
The emotional pattern
Metal element, the lungs and large intestine
Grief, sadness, feeling stuck. Something you have not been able to put down.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the anterior and middle deltoid, checks the lung reflex points, and watches how you actually breathe. The lungs are big for emotions here, so this is often where a conversation with Dr. Leah starts.
Teres minor
Organ or glandThyroid
MeridianTriple Heater meridian
What it feels like
Not being able to reach into your back pocket
Not being able to fasten a bra behind your back
A shoulder that feels fine until you rotate it behind you
What commonly drives it
Thyroid demand, which rises under long stress
Iodine and selenium status
A thyroid panel that came back normal while you did not feel normal
The emotional pattern
Fire element, the heart and small intestine
Overwhelm. A mind that will not settle. Wired at 11pm and flat at 3pm.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the teres minor in external rotation, checks the thyroid reflex points, and if the picture holds, orders the full panel rather than the single number most physicals run.
Supraspinatus
Organ or glandBrain and central nervous system
MeridianConception Vessel
What it feels like
Pain in the first few degrees of lifting the arm
The classic cannot lift a gallon of milk
A shoulder that gives out with no warning
What commonly drives it
Nervous system load
Sleep quality
Head or neck injury history, however old
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the supraspinatus at fifteen degrees of abduction and reads it alongside your neck, because this one is as much a nervous system readout as a shoulder test.
Infraspinatus
Organ or glandThymus and immune function
MeridianTriple Heater meridian
What it feels like
Pain reaching back and out
A shoulder that flares every time you are run down
Shoulder pain that arrives with a cold and leaves with it
What commonly drives it
Immune load
Recovery from a recent illness
Chronic low-grade inflammation
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the infraspinatus and checks the thymus reflex points, and pays attention to whether your shoulder tracks your immune system rather than your training.
Subscapularis
Organ or glandHeart
MeridianHeart meridian
What it feels like
A deep ache at the front of the shoulder you cannot get your thumb into
Weakness rotating the arm inward
A shoulder that aches at night
What commonly drives it
Cardiovascular load
Blood pressure
Sustained stress
The emotional pattern
Fire element, the heart and small intestine
Overwhelm. A mind that will not settle. Wired at 11pm and flat at 3pm.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the subscapularis under the shoulder blade and checks the heart reflex points. Anything cardiac in the history goes to your physician, and Crown works alongside that, not instead of it.
The chest is split down the middle in this framework. The upper half of your pec answers to your stomach and the lower half answers to your liver.
Pectoralis major, clavicular head
Organ or glandStomach
MeridianStomach meridian
What it feels like
Pain at the front of the shoulder pressing or pushing
A chest that feels tight rather than sore
Rounded shoulders that snap back within a day of being corrected
What commonly drives it
Stomach acid that is low rather than high, which is the common one
Eating fast, standing up, or under stress
Reflux that has been treated for years without being explained
The emotional pattern
Earth element, the stomach, spleen and pancreas
Worry. Overthinking. Chewing the same thought all night.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the clavicular head of the pec separately from the sternal head, since they answer to different organs, and checks the stomach reflex points.
Pectoralis major, sternal head
Organ or glandLiver
MeridianLiver meridian
What it feels like
A tight band across the lower chest
Rib pain that has no injury behind it
Chest tightness that arrives with frustration
What commonly drives it
Liver load
Alcohol and medication clearance
Hormone metabolism
The emotional pattern
Wood element, the liver and gallbladder
Frustration. Irritability. The decision you keep not making.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the sternal head with the arm across the body and checks the liver reflex points, then looks for the same story showing up in your rhomboids.
Diaphragm and serratus anterior
Organ or glandLungs
MeridianLung meridian
What it feels like
Not being able to take a full breath
Ribs that feel strapped
A side stitch that arrives early in any run
What commonly drives it
Breathing pattern, chest rather than belly
Rib restriction
Allergy and sinus load
The emotional pattern
Metal element, the lungs and large intestine
Grief, sadness, feeling stuck. Something you have not been able to put down.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the serratus anterior and watches your rib movement while you breathe. A diaphragm that is not doing its job hands the work to your neck, which is where you will feel it.
An elbow that has failed every elbow treatment is a reason to test somewhere else. Both of these muscles answer to a digestive organ.
Biceps and brachioradialis
Organ or glandStomach
MeridianStomach meridian
What it feels like
Elbow pain that has been called tennis elbow and has not responded to anything
Pain in the crease of the elbow
Grip that gives out
What commonly drives it
Low stomach acid
Eating in a hurry
Chronic stress at meals
The emotional pattern
Earth element, the stomach, spleen and pancreas
Worry. Overthinking. Chewing the same thought all night.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the biceps and brachioradialis and checks the stomach reflex points. An elbow that has failed three rounds of elbow treatment is a reason to test somewhere else.
Triceps
Organ or glandPancreas
MeridianSpleen meridian
What it feels like
Elbow pain on the back of the joint
Pressing strength that has quietly dropped
An arm that fatigues faster than it should
What commonly drives it
Blood sugar
Enzyme output
Meals that are mostly carbohydrate
The emotional pattern
Earth element, the stomach, spleen and pancreas
Worry. Overthinking. Chewing the same thought all night.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the triceps alongside the lats and mid traps, because all three share a meridian and a pattern across them is far more meaningful than any one of them.
Coracobrachialis
Organ or glandLungs
MeridianLung meridian
What it feels like
A deep ache in the front of the armpit
Pain reaching overhead and back
An arm that tires holding anything up
What commonly drives it
Breathing pattern
Chest restriction
Grief and sadness
The emotional pattern
Metal element, the lungs and large intestine
Grief, sadness, feeling stuck. Something you have not been able to put down.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the coracobrachialis high in the armpit and reads it with the deltoid, since both belong to the lung meridian.
A core that will not switch on is rarely a discipline problem. Your abdominals share a meridian with your small intestine.
Abdominals
Organ or glandSmall intestine
MeridianSmall Intestine meridian
What it feels like
A core that will not switch on, so your back does the work
Bloating that gets worse with training
A low back that fatigues before your abs do
What commonly drives it
Food the small intestine is reacting to
Absorption
Gut inflammation
The emotional pattern
Fire element, the heart and small intestine
Overwhelm. A mind that will not settle. Wired at 11pm and flat at 3pm.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the abdominals in sections rather than as one sheet, checks the small intestine reflex points, and reads it with your quadriceps, which share the meridian.
Psoas and iliacus
Organ or glandKidneys
MeridianKidney meridian
What it feels like
A hip flexor that will not release no matter how much you stretch it
A pinch at the front of the hip when you lift your knee
A low back that aches when you stand up out of a chair
What commonly drives it
Dehydration, which is the most common cause of kidney stress
Mineral balance, especially sodium and potassium
Caffeine standing in for water all day
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the psoas on both sides, checks the kidney reflex points, and reads that against your hydration, your minerals, your history and the rest of your exam. A muscle that tests inhibited on both sides is the pattern that points at the organ rather than the hip.
The psoas is the muscle people stretch the most and change the least. It answers to your kidneys, and dehydration is the most common cause of kidney stress.
Psoas and iliacus
Organ or glandKidneys
MeridianKidney meridian
What it feels like
A hip flexor that will not release no matter how much you stretch it
A pinch at the front of the hip when you lift your knee
A low back that aches when you stand up out of a chair
What commonly drives it
Dehydration, which is the most common cause of kidney stress
Mineral balance, especially sodium and potassium
Caffeine standing in for water all day
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the psoas on both sides, checks the kidney reflex points, and reads that against your hydration, your minerals, your history and the rest of your exam. A muscle that tests inhibited on both sides is the pattern that points at the organ rather than the hip.
Quadratus lumborum
Organ or glandLarge intestine
MeridianLarge Intestine meridian
What it feels like
A low back that is tight on one side and never both
Pain at the top of the pelvis when you side bend
A back that seizes when you have been constipated or bloated
What commonly drives it
Bowel transit that is too slow or too fast
Fiber and water intake
The gut flora balance behind both
The emotional pattern
Metal element, the lungs and large intestine
Grief, sadness, feeling stuck. Something you have not been able to put down.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the quadratus lumborum against the pelvis, checks the large intestine reflex points, and asks about bowel habit, because the muscle and the bowel share the meridian.
Adductors
Organ or glandReproductive organs
MeridianCirculation-Sex meridian
What it feels like
Groin pain with no injury behind it
Inner thigh that is chronically tight
A pelvis that keeps rotating back out
What commonly drives it
Hormone load
Pelvic floor tone
Stress chemistry
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the adductors alongside the glutes and piriformis, since the whole group answers to the same meridian, and a pattern across them says more than any single test.
Gluteus medius, gluteus maximus and piriformis
Organ or glandReproductive organs
MeridianCirculation-Sex meridian
What it feels like
Deep pain in the buttock that feels like sciatica
One side of the pelvis that always drops
A hip that will not hold its adjustment
What commonly drives it
Hormone load and where you are in your cycle
Pelvic floor tone
The stress axis, because it runs the same chemistry
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the glutes and piriformis, checks the reflex points for the reproductive organs, and looks at whether the pattern moves with your cycle. Where hormones look like part of the picture, lab work is the next step, not a guess.
Knee pain going up stairs and knee pain getting out of a chair are the same finding, and in this framework it starts in your small intestine.
Quadriceps
Organ or glandSmall intestine
MeridianSmall Intestine meridian
What it feels like
Pain or difficulty going up stairs
A struggle getting from sitting to standing
Pain around and under the kneecap, and a kneecap that tracks off to one side
What commonly drives it
A food the small intestine is reacting to
Absorption, which is why you can eat well and still run low
Gut inflammation that has never had a name put to it
The emotional pattern
Fire element, the heart and small intestine
Overwhelm. A mind that will not settle. Wired at 11pm and flat at 3pm.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the quadriceps and the abdominals together, since they share the meridian, checks the small intestine reflex points, and looks at what you eat and how you are absorbing it.
Sartorius and gracilis
Organ or glandAdrenal glands
What it feels like
Inside knee pain that will not go away
Chronic shin splints
Pelvic imbalance that keeps coming back after it has been corrected
What commonly drives it
Stress load that has been running for months rather than days
Blood sugar swings
Sleep debt, and caffeine covering for it
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the sartorius and gracilis where they attach at the inside of the knee, checks the adrenal reflex points, and looks at the pattern across your whole pelvis. This is the longest muscle in the body and a major one for pelvic stability, so when it is inhibited the whole pelvis pays for it.
Tensor fascia lata and the IT band
Organ or glandLarge intestine
MeridianLarge Intestine meridian
What it feels like
Pain down the outside of the thigh and the outside of the knee
An IT band that is sore to foam roll every single time
Runner's knee that comes back every time mileage goes up
What commonly drives it
Bowel function
Hydration
Gut inflammation
The emotional pattern
Metal element, the lungs and large intestine
Grief, sadness, feeling stuck. Something you have not been able to put down.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the tensor fascia lata directly, since rolling a band that is being pulled tight by an inhibited muscle treats the rope and not the winch.
Shin splints and ankles that keep rolling are treated as training errors. Both of these muscles answer to your bladder.
Tibialis anterior
Organ or glandBladder
MeridianBladder meridian
What it feels like
Shin splints that come back every season
A burning ache down the front of the shin
A foot that slaps the ground when you are tired
What commonly drives it
Fluid balance
Bladder irritation from caffeine and acidity
Mineral status
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the tibialis anterior and checks the bladder reflex points, then looks at your foot mechanics, because both matter and only one of them is usually looked at.
Peroneals
Organ or glandBladder
MeridianBladder meridian
What it feels like
Ankles that keep rolling
Instability on the outside of the ankle
An ankle sprain that never fully came back
What commonly drives it
Fluid balance
Mineral status
Old ankle injuries that were never rehabbed
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the peroneals in eversion and checks the bladder reflex points. An ankle that keeps rolling is usually a muscle that is not firing in time, not a ligament that is loose.
Gastrocnemius and soleus
Organ or glandAdrenal glands
What it feels like
Calves that cramp at night
An Achilles that stays sore for months
Legs that feel heavy walking up a slight hill
What commonly drives it
Adrenal and stress load
Magnesium and sodium status
Sleep, and how long it has been short
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the gastrocnemius and soleus separately, checks the adrenal reflex points, and reads it with your sartorius, since both point at the same glands from opposite ends of the leg.
This is the single most common complaint in the clinic and the single most common misread. It is almost never posture on its own.
Rhomboids
Organ or glandLiver
MeridianLiver meridian
What it feels like
That nagging tightness between your shoulder blades that is not posture
The words most people use are I carry all my tension between my shoulder blades
Tension that never fully releases, no matter what you do to it
What commonly drives it
Liver and methylation load
Alcohol, medications and hormone clearance
Tight hands and tight tendons, because the liver governs the tendons
The emotional pattern
Wood element, the liver and gallbladder
Frustration. Irritability. The decision you keep not making.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the rhomboids, checks the liver reflex points, and looks at your hands. Tight hands and tight tendons alongside this pattern is the sign to check the liver and methylation pathways.
Middle and lower trapezius
Organ or glandPancreas
MeridianSpleen meridian
What it feels like
Shoulder blades that will not sit down and back
A neck doing the work your mid back should be doing
Aching between the shoulder blades by mid afternoon
What commonly drives it
Blood sugar swings
Carbohydrate metabolism
Digestive enzyme output
The emotional pattern
Earth element, the stomach, spleen and pancreas
Worry. Overthinking. Chewing the same thought all night.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the middle and lower trapezius separately from the upper, since they belong to a different meridian and tell a different story.
Latissimus dorsi
Organ or glandPancreas
MeridianSpleen meridian
What it feels like
Not being able to fire your lats or get them to activate at all
Pull ups and rows that feel like arms only
Shoulders that round forward no matter how much you cue them back
What commonly drives it
Blood sugar swings, the spike and crash pattern
Carbohydrate metabolism
Enzyme deficiency, which shows up as heaviness after meals
The emotional pattern
Earth element, the stomach, spleen and pancreas
Worry. Overthinking. Chewing the same thought all night.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the lats on both sides, checks the pancreas reflex points, and looks at your blood sugar pattern. If you cannot fire your lats and you also crash mid afternoon, those are one finding, not two.
Three different organs feed the low back, and they produce three different kinds of pain. Which one it is decides what actually helps.
Psoas and iliacus
Organ or glandKidneys
MeridianKidney meridian
What it feels like
A hip flexor that will not release no matter how much you stretch it
A pinch at the front of the hip when you lift your knee
A low back that aches when you stand up out of a chair
What commonly drives it
Dehydration, which is the most common cause of kidney stress
Mineral balance, especially sodium and potassium
Caffeine standing in for water all day
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the psoas on both sides, checks the kidney reflex points, and reads that against your hydration, your minerals, your history and the rest of your exam. A muscle that tests inhibited on both sides is the pattern that points at the organ rather than the hip.
Quadratus lumborum
Organ or glandLarge intestine
MeridianLarge Intestine meridian
What it feels like
A low back that is tight on one side and never both
Pain at the top of the pelvis when you side bend
A back that seizes when you have been constipated or bloated
What commonly drives it
Bowel transit that is too slow or too fast
Fiber and water intake
The gut flora balance behind both
The emotional pattern
Metal element, the lungs and large intestine
Grief, sadness, feeling stuck. Something you have not been able to put down.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the quadratus lumborum against the pelvis, checks the large intestine reflex points, and asks about bowel habit, because the muscle and the bowel share the meridian.
Erector spinae
Organ or glandBladder
MeridianBladder meridian
What it feels like
A whole back that locks rather than one painful spot
Standing still hurting more than walking
Morning stiffness that takes an hour to move out of
What commonly drives it
Fluid balance and how much you actually drink
Bladder irritation from caffeine or acidity
Mineral status
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the erector spinae segment by segment, because the bladder meridian runs the entire length of the back and the level that tests inhibited tells them where to look.
Deep buttock pain that feels like sciatica, and a pelvis that will not hold its adjustment. This group answers to the reproductive organs.
Gluteus medius, gluteus maximus and piriformis
Organ or glandReproductive organs
MeridianCirculation-Sex meridian
What it feels like
Deep pain in the buttock that feels like sciatica
One side of the pelvis that always drops
A hip that will not hold its adjustment
What commonly drives it
Hormone load and where you are in your cycle
Pelvic floor tone
The stress axis, because it runs the same chemistry
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the glutes and piriformis, checks the reflex points for the reproductive organs, and looks at whether the pattern moves with your cycle. Where hormones look like part of the picture, lab work is the next step, not a guess.
Adductors
Organ or glandReproductive organs
MeridianCirculation-Sex meridian
What it feels like
Groin pain with no injury behind it
Inner thigh that is chronically tight
A pelvis that keeps rotating back out
What commonly drives it
Hormone load
Pelvic floor tone
Stress chemistry
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the adductors alongside the glutes and piriformis, since the whole group answers to the same meridian, and a pattern across them says more than any single test.
A hamstring that is short and a hamstring that is switched off feel identical to you. They are completely different on the table.
Hamstrings
Organ or glandLarge intestine and rectum
MeridianLarge Intestine meridian
What it feels like
Hamstrings that are always tight and never actually loosen
A deep ache at the sit bone
Stretching that feels good for an hour and then it is back
What commonly drives it
Sluggish elimination
Dehydration
A gut that is inflamed rather than short
The emotional pattern
Metal element, the lungs and large intestine
Grief, sadness, feeling stuck. Something you have not been able to put down.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the hamstrings for inhibition rather than length, because a hamstring that is short and a hamstring that is switched off feel identical to you and completely different on the table.
Gluteus medius, gluteus maximus and piriformis
Organ or glandReproductive organs
MeridianCirculation-Sex meridian
What it feels like
Deep pain in the buttock that feels like sciatica
One side of the pelvis that always drops
A hip that will not hold its adjustment
What commonly drives it
Hormone load and where you are in your cycle
Pelvic floor tone
The stress axis, because it runs the same chemistry
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the glutes and piriformis, checks the reflex points for the reproductive organs, and looks at whether the pattern moves with your cycle. Where hormones look like part of the picture, lab work is the next step, not a guess.
Pain behind the knee that is worse with rotation, plus pain down the outside of the knee. That is the gallbladder pattern.
Popliteus
Organ or glandGallbladder
MeridianGallbladder meridian
What it feels like
Pain behind the knee that is worse with twisting and rotation
A knee that feels unstable rather than painful
Pain down the outside of the knee, which is where the gallbladder meridian runs
What commonly drives it
Fat digestion and how heavy meals sit
A gallbladder that is working hard, or one that has been removed
Bile flow, which shows up as pale stool or nausea after rich food
The emotional pattern
Wood element, the liver and gallbladder
Frustration. Irritability. The decision you keep not making.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the popliteus with the knee rotated, checks the gallbladder reflex points, and asks how fat and fried food sit with you. The knee is where you feel it. It is not always where the demand is coming from.
Hamstrings
Organ or glandLarge intestine and rectum
MeridianLarge Intestine meridian
What it feels like
Hamstrings that are always tight and never actually loosen
A deep ache at the sit bone
Stretching that feels good for an hour and then it is back
What commonly drives it
Sluggish elimination
Dehydration
A gut that is inflamed rather than short
The emotional pattern
Metal element, the lungs and large intestine
Grief, sadness, feeling stuck. Something you have not been able to put down.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the hamstrings for inhibition rather than length, because a hamstring that is short and a hamstring that is switched off feel identical to you and completely different on the table.
Calves that cramp at night and an Achilles that stays sore. Both of these answer to your adrenal glands.
Gastrocnemius and soleus
Organ or glandAdrenal glands
What it feels like
Calves that cramp at night
An Achilles that stays sore for months
Legs that feel heavy walking up a slight hill
What commonly drives it
Adrenal and stress load
Magnesium and sodium status
Sleep, and how long it has been short
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the gastrocnemius and soleus separately, checks the adrenal reflex points, and reads it with your sartorius, since both point at the same glands from opposite ends of the leg.
Peroneals
Organ or glandBladder
MeridianBladder meridian
What it feels like
Ankles that keep rolling
Instability on the outside of the ankle
An ankle sprain that never fully came back
What commonly drives it
Fluid balance
Mineral status
Old ankle injuries that were never rehabbed
The emotional pattern
Water element, the kidneys, bladder and adrenals
Fear. Dread. Not feeling safe enough to stop.
What your doctor checks
Your doctor tests the peroneals in eversion and checks the bladder reflex points. An ankle that keeps rolling is usually a muscle that is not firing in time, not a ligament that is loose.
Muscles move bones. When a muscle is inhibited, the muscles around it have to compensate, and those compensating muscles get tight. That is the tightness you feel, and it is why stretching the tight one keeps not working: you are stretching the muscle that is doing the extra work, not the one that quit.
A muscle that tests weak or inhibited is not saying you are weak. It is saying that muscle is working at three fifths or four fifths of its strength instead of five fifths. And here is the part that matters: when the demand is coming from an organ rather than an injury, the muscle usually tests inhibited on both sides. One side is a mechanical problem. Both sides is a reason to look further in.
What each muscle is connected to
In applied kinesiology, a muscle is not read on its own. It carries five associations, and your doctor works through all of them.
An organ or gland. The psoas and your kidneys. The popliteus and your gallbladder. The rhomboids and your liver.
An acupuncture meridian. Which is why gallbladder trouble shows up as pain on the outside of the knee, where that meridian runs.
A spinal level. The segment that supplies the nerve to that muscle, and to the organ it shares a pathway with.
A nutrient. What that tissue and that organ need to do their job, which is where lab work and nutrition come in.
An emotional pattern. The five element framework puts grief in the lungs, frustration in the liver, worry in the stomach and fear in the kidneys. Dr. Leah works this layer directly with the Neuro-Emotional Technique.
What happens when you come in
A visit starts with a real conversation and exam first. Your doctor takes your history, runs the orthopedic and neurological exam, and looks at posture and motion. Manual muscle testing sits alongside all of that, not in place of it. They test the specific muscles for the area that hurts, compare left to right, and read the pattern.
If the pattern points at an organ, that is where functional medicine and lab testing pick it up: Dr. Jarod Ward runs the panels that turn how you feel into data, and builds the protocol from what comes back. If it points at a mechanical problem, it is an adjustment and a plan. If the same pattern keeps returning after it has been corrected, that is usually the emotional layer, and that is Dr. Leah's work.
He actually addresses each individual ache and pain. He truly wants to help his patients get to the root of the problem and not just mask a symptom.
Lauri B., Google review
Where this comes from
The muscle to organ relationships mapped here came out of the clinical work of Dr. George Goodheart, the Detroit chiropractor who developed applied kinesiology in 1964, building on the neurolymphatic reflex points that osteopath Frank Chapman had documented in the 1930s. Goodheart and his colleagues founded the International College of Applied Kinesiology in 1976 so the observations could be shared and taught in one place.
It is a living body of clinical literature. Three places to read it for yourself:
Caso ML. Evaluation of Chapman's neurolymphatic reflexes via applied kinesiology: a case report of low back pain and congenital intestinal abnormality. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2004;27(1):66. A 29 year old man with chronic low back pain, normal lumbar radiographs, and no relief from anti inflammatories, cortisone injections or manipulation. Applied kinesiology examination pointed the treatment at his large bowel instead. The author's words: the intervention "resulted in the resolution of the patient's musculoskeletal symptomatology, as well as improved bowel function."
Moncayo R, Moncayo H. Evaluation of applied kinesiology meridian techniques by means of surface electromyography. Chinese Medicine, 2009;4:9. Muscle response during AK meridian technique measured on sEMG rather than by feel, with the signal rising under tonification and falling under sedation.
Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research (ISSN 2374-619X), the peer reviewed journal edited by Matthew McCoy, DC, MPH, which publishes the ongoing case literature on how spinal and visceral function relate. Free to read at vertebralsubluxationresearch.com.
Good to know
Questions patients ask
My knee hurts. Does this mean something is wrong with my small intestine?
No. This map shows you which muscles connect to which organs so you know what your doctor will look at, not what is wrong with you. A knee can hurt because of the knee. The reason the connection matters is that when a knee has already been treated as a knee and it keeps coming back, there is somewhere else to look.
How does a doctor tell a muscle problem from an organ pattern?
One of the clearest signals is which sides test inhibited. A muscle that is inhibited on one side usually points to something mechanical, an injury or a joint that is not moving well. The same muscle testing inhibited on both sides is the pattern that sends your doctor looking at the organ it is associated with.
Does a weak muscle test mean I need to go to the gym?
Not in this context. Inhibited is not the same as untrained. It means a muscle that should hold at full strength is holding at less, right now, under light pressure. Training a muscle that is being inhibited is how people end up strong everywhere except the one place that keeps hurting.
Is muscle testing uncomfortable?
No. It uses light pressure while you hold a simple position. It is a diagnostic tool rather than a treatment on its own, so there is nothing to brace for.
Who at Crown does this?
All three doctors are trained in applied kinesiology. Dr. Jarod Ward carries it into functional medicine and lab work when the pattern points at an organ. Dr. Diego Torres works it into family and pediatric care. Dr. Leah takes the emotional layer with the Neuro-Emotional Technique.
How do I book?
New patients book the initial consultation by phone at (239) 441-2275, including the initial functional medicine consultation. Existing patients can book follow up visits online.
Wear your crown
Find out what is actually driving it
Bring us the thing that has not responded to anything yet. New patients book the initial functional medicine consultation by phone so we can put you with the right doctor.