The O-Ring muscle test is hands-down my favorite way to self-test for food allergies & intolerances.  It also helps me find the best supplements, remedies & helps with #VirtuousEating among other things.  I know so many different muscle tests and techniques that I’d like to share with you.  But, let’s start with this all-time favorite.  However, the only potential drawback to this uber simple muscle test is that it requires both hands.  But, other than that a child of 6 or 7 years old should be able to test themselves with this easy one.

Like all manual muscle tests, the O-Ring method assesses energetic disruption or enervation in the body.  If an energetic disruption exists it will weaken the muscles & joints.  As a result, the chain of the “O” will break easily when gentle sustained pressure is applied.

To perform this quick & easy muscle test start by putting your index finger & thumb together.  So this will make an “O”.  To clarify, I mean as in making an “OK sign”.  Personally, I use my dominant hand for making the “O”.  But really you could use either hand.  Next, you will use your index (or other) finger of the opposite hand.  Then place it at the joint or meeting place of the “O”.  Next using gentle but firm sustained pressure on any muscle at a joint.  With the O-Ring Muscle Test, obviously, it will be the muscles & joints of the fingers.

Performing a Muscle Test on Yourself

So if you want to quickly take the O-Ring Muscle Test for a spin.  Get a baseline by saying (or even thinking) “yes” while you try to break the “O” or circle.  No matter how hard you pull with your sustained pressure, your “O” should not break.  But now perform the same test while saying or thinking “No”.  When applying sustained pressure at the junction of the finger & thumb of the circle it should break the “O”.

Did that just blow your mind or what?!?  Congratulations, you just learned two important muscle testing basics at the same time…  You learned the O-Ring Method.  However, you also just learned a very basic verbal muscle test.

Why the O-Ring is My Favorite Muscle Test

This muscle test is my absolute favorite for self-testing.  In fact, even when I am testing clients directly, I usually use myself as a surrogate.  Most of my clients I test & work with remotely using the phone or skype so I can’t direct test anyway.  This is one reason why I like it.  It is a very dramatic test.  Meaning there is no way you can misinterpret a “weak”, “negative” or “unlocked” response.  If someone sees me testing they can easily see the difference.  In other words, they’ll know what is “strong”, “locked”, “positive” or when there is a “weak” one.  There are times when that comes in very handy.

There are so many reasons this is my preferred muscle test.  First of all, it is much less tiring than some other self-tests.  Especially in times when I have been in really long testing sessions.  For example, when I am developing modalities I might perform many tests over & over.  Secondly, I love that it is very fast.  Some of the other testing methods take a little longer to register.

Most importantly, I love that the O-Ring Muscle Test is very subtle.  It is excellent at registering what I call the hesitant no.  In the case of testing foods, the “hesitant no” could mean the difference between an allergy and an intolerance.  It also could mean it “would be ok with an enzyme”. The hesitant no might denote “maybe”, “sometimes”, “something like that” etc.  However, it can even perhaps let you know “you need a better phrasing to your question” when using verbal testing.  I love this about the O-Ring!  I can’t tell you how helpful its subtlety is at times.