[Evaluation of applied kinesiology in nutritional intolerance of childhood]

Because nutritional intolerances generally are difficult to be diagnosed, Applied Kinesiology (AK) often is discussed as an alternative in this field.

The uncertain scientific situation makes it necessary to assess the diagnostic value of AK. The method was compared with established laboratory tests such as RAST, lactose breath hydrogen test and a specific IgG test (Cytolisa).

315 children and adolescents, 0-17 years old, with different chronic diseases such as headache, abdominal pain, chronic eczema, hyperactivity, and bronchial asthma were studied by means of AK for 2 years.

We found a moderate test-retest reliability (intraclass-kappa 0.62) but no inter-tester reliability (intraclass-kappa -0.01). Moreover, there was no statistically significant agreement with either RAST and Cytolisa (sensitivity 73.6%, specificity 45.2%) or lactose breath hydrogen test (sensitivity 77.1%, specificity 43.2%).

In general, AK cannot be recommended for diagnosing nutritional intolerance. However, due to its high sensitivity, it could be a valuable tool to give some preliminary results.