Most people understand the value of tests that analyze their blood, saliva, and urine but are not so sure about what bioenergetic testing is or how it can assist their health.
Just as traditional tests analyze the cellular and chemical components of the body, bioenergetic testing provides another layer of insight by measuring the body’s energy. And unlike testing body fluids and other physical components, bioenergetic testing provides instant feedback about the body rather than having to wait to get the results back from a lab.
Read on to learn more about what bioenergetic testing is, how it was developed, and why it is a beneficial tool for enhancing health and wellness.
The origins of bioenergetic testing
The field of bioenergetics deals with energy flow through living systems. The energy generated in the body passes through the whole body on certain pathways called meridians. Along these meridians are acupuncture points situated near the surface of the skin.
Acupuncture points were first discovered by the Chinese thousands of years ago. The practitioners of this time found that stimulating certain acupuncture points with a needle could release blocked energy, or qi, resulting in relief from various health issues.1
Thousands of years later, in the 1950s, Dr. Reinhold Voll discovered that the energy flowing through acupuncture points can be measured by running a gentle electrical current through the body. By measuring the electrical conductance of the skin at acupuncture points, Voll was able to determine the condition of specific organs and structures in the body.2
Not only that, but Voll also discovered that he could measure changes in skin conductance as substances such as supplements and homeopathics were placed on the same electrical circuit as the patient. Using this method, he was able to prescribe which substances the patient should take based on the body’s energetic reactions.
Dr. Voll’s innovation became known as electroacupuncture according to Voll, or EAV. The technology he developed and other innovations which are based on EAV are also commonly referred to as electrodermal screening (EDS), bioenergetic screening, bioenergetic testing, or biocommunication.
Computerized bioenergetic testing
While Dr. Voll’s technology provides a wealth of clinical value, the procedure for measuring acupuncture points is time-consuming and somewhat invasive. This is where computerized bioenergetic testing comes in to play.
Through modern technology advancements, an item can be assigned a unique digital signature that is linked to the actual physical item. The body will then respond to the digital signature of the item as if the item was physically present. This includes digital signatures of organs and systems within the body and environmental factors such as bacteria and viruses, as well as balancing items such as supplements and herbs.
Just as with EAV, you can think of these health-related items as questions that are being asked to the body. When a signature is introduced to the body, the body is basically being asked how it feels about that item. It’s saying, for example, “How do you feel about this specific organ?” Or “How do you feel about this supplement?” Then the body responds in a positive or negative manner. We can observe these responses through measurements of electrodermal activity, which is also known as galvanic skin response (GSR).
Also similar to EAV, we can see the degree of the positive or negative response with computerized bioenergetic testing. Thus, we can see which areas of health or substances are highest on the body’s list of energetic priorities.
Now that the EAV process is digitized, responses can be gathered much more quickly. A ZYTO bioscan, for example, can scan about 100 items per minute.
Who uses bioenergetic testing?
Due to its connection to traditional Chinese medicine, many acupuncturists and TCM practitioners use bioenergetic testing in their practices. But there are many other types of practitioners that use this type of testing as well, from chiropractors and naturopaths to nutritionists, health coaches, therapists, and more.
In addition to being non-invasive and providing accurate, individualized information, many practitioners use this type of technology because it supports a holistic view of health. Having an energetic picture of health & wellness helps the practitioner see where the body’s energy is heading before problems manifest physically. Plus, it can also help the practitioner discover what may be at the root of a particular issue.
Scientific evidence of bioenergetic testing
A common misconception about bioenergetic testing is that there is no real scientific evidence to back it up. However, various studies show the efficacy of bioenergetic testing and its underlying technology.
For example, galvanic skin response has shown to be capable of accurately detecting stress levels. It has also been used to help correctly detect health conditions such as depression, hypertension, erupted molars, and allergic rhinitis, to name a few.3 4 5
Additionally, bioenergetic and electrodermal screening have been found to be useful in the treatment process. GSR biofeedback, for example, has been found to be a helpful tool in psychotherapy treatment.6 It’s also been found useful in treating conditions like epilepsy, endometriosis-related pain, and tension-type headaches.7 8 9
Is bioenergetic testing right for you?
Bioenergetic testing is an easy, non-invasive way to gather useful information directly from the body. Whether you’re looking to enhance preventative health, having trouble finding the root cause of an issue, or wanting to achieve wellness goals faster and more holistically, bioenergetic testing can be an incredibly valuable tool.
While they can be a valuable tool in the diagnostic process, tests and screenings of this type can’t be used to diagnose or treat any disease or medical condition. Diagnosis and treatment decisions are ultimately made by the practitioner after gathering information from a variety of sources and using their own expertise. However, a bioenergetic screening can give you the information you need to make better wellness decisions.
By getting readings directly from the body, a practitioner can hone in on the wellness options for which the body shows the most biological coherence. So instead of taking a supplement just because it’s supposed to help with a certain issue, for example, you’re now basing your decisions on accurate, personalized data.
Additionally, information from bioenergetic testing is often used to complement and compare to other data such as blood test results and health history. This gives both the practitioner and the client a wider range of useful information from which to make decisions.
Is ZYTO a bioenergetic test?
While ZYTO biocommunication is based on the same technology as bioenergetic testing and electrodermal screening, it possesses some unique characteristics that other similar devices don’t.
One key difference is that ZYTO technology uses the ZYTO Hand Cradle. This device is cleared by the FDA to measure galvanic skin response. However, unlike other bioenergetic screening devices, the Hand Cradle has 6 points of contact to the skin. Having more contact points with a larger surface area improves the accuracy of the scan.
Other unique features of ZYTO technology include a library of more than 40,000 Virtual Items, homeopathic capabilities, and the ability to scan clients remotely.
About Seth Morris
Seth Morris is an experienced article writer with a background in marketing, Web content creation, and health research. In addition to writing and editing content for the ZYTO website and blog, he has written hundreds of articles for various websites on topics such as holistic wellness, health technology, and Internet marketing. Seth has earned Bachelor’s Degrees in Business Management as well as Literary Studies.
Sources:
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2. Oliveira, Arnaldo. “Electroacupuncture According to Voll: Historical Background and Literature Review.” The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine 3, no. 1 (2016).
3. Kim, Y.E., C. Kim, et al. “Comparison of Electrodermal Activity between Hypertensive and Non-hypertensive Subject in Health Screening Population.” Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine 27, no. 6 (2013): 847-852.
4. Godfrey, Michael E. “A Dental Focus as a Cause of Trigeminal Neuralgia: Case Report.” Journal of Advancement in Medicine 10 (1997): 267-272.
5. Yeh, M.H., H.F. Luo, et al. “A study on the electrical properties of acupuncture points in allergic rhinitis.” 2012 International Conference on e-health Networking, Applications and Services (HealthCom): 13175846.
6. Toomin, M.J., & H. Toomin. “GSR biofeedback in psychotherapy: Some clinical observations.” Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice 12, no. 1 (1975): 33-38.
7. Nagai, Y., C.I. Jones, & A. Sen. “Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)/Electrodermal/Skin Conductance Biofeedback on Epilepsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Frontiers in Neurology (2019).
8. Ahn, A.C., R. Schnyer, et al. “Electrodermal measures of Jing-Well points and their clinical relevance in endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 15, no. 12 (2009): 1293-1305.
9. Rastogi, R., D.K. Chaturvedi, et al. “Chapter 5 – Chronic TTH Analysis by EMG and GSR Biofeedback on Various Modes and Various Medical Symptoms Using IoT.” Big Data Analytics for Intelligent Healthcare Management (2019): 87-150.
