Kevin Seitzer’s (former 3rd baseman in Major League Baseball, Cleveland Indians) open letter (1999):
To whom it may concern:
I am writing this testimony on behalf of all applied kinesiologists in the world who are experts in this field.
I am a retired major league baseball player of eleven years. I played from 1986 to 1997 with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians. Over the course of my career, I endured many injuries, some of which knocked me from the lineup, but most of them I played through. As my career went on and my years in age go “up there,” it became increasingly more difficult to stay on the field because of nagging injuries. One part of my body would flare up, which would cause something else to break down because I would start favoring something, and it seemed as though I could not stay injury (pain) free. Rarely did I come off the field because of these; only broken bones and surgery limited my action at times throughout my career.
I had five knee operations over the course of my career and also was born with a disc problem in my back, which caused me to see chiropractors on a regular basis since high school. All this brings me to my point – my first introduction to Applied Kinesiology (AK). It was in spring training of 1996 (I think…it may have been ’95; baseball does that to the memory) that I first experienced someone in the field of AK. Dave Nilsson, who is from Australia, brought his own personal AK guy over for part of the season. I had a terrible ankle sprain that happened just before spring training (about three days before I left…stupid me, playing basketball), and Nilsson suggested that this guy take a look at me. His name was Eril and his last name I should not even attempt to pronounce or spell. It was something like Americazerra (Eril, if you read this article. I apologize for butchering your name). He was a real nice guy, too. Anyway, he got me back on the field in a matter of days. I should have missed about two weeks with this sprain. Needless to say, from that point on, I was a believer in AK. He went to Milwaukee with us that season and worked on several of the players. I never felt so good during a baseball season. The only problem was that when I couldn’t get an adjustment for a long time, I blew out pretty easily. So, we took him on the road with us a few times. He was great!
From that point on, I was no longer looking for chiropractic help. I was looking for someone in AK. This is not to “bag” on chiropractors because they really helped me a lot throughout my career. Life was not always easy in baseball, from a physical standpoint. Also, just to make a point, I took very good care of myself from about 1989 on. I was on a very structured lifting program and biked almost every day or did some sort of running. I tried to eat right (as much as a guy who lives in restaurants on a daily basis can) and in 1988 turned my life over to Christ and received Him as Lord and Savior. Because of this, I was able to completely stop drinking. I used to pull and strain muscles and just be tight all the time. I had a terrible drinking problem dating back to college. Thankfully, I have been “dry” since that point in my life. This really has nothing to do with AK, but I thought I would share this because it is really important to me. Thanks!
In 1996, in September, I was traded to the Cleveland Indians. It was here that I met Drs. Dan Duffy, Sr. and Jr. These guys are the best! Doc Sr. has got to be a legend in the AK field. If there is anyone better at this stuff than this guy, I want to meet him. I never knew I could feel so good. I saw these guys all through 1997 and felt great all year. Doc Duffy challenged me to start eating “properly” (this word means something totally different in the field of AK). It has to do with combining your foods properly. Ask the pros for the manual; that’s what I had to do. I dropped about 3-4 pounds and about 5% body fat during the course of the season. I never felt so good and had so much energy (I just wish I could have stayed with that program. I like candy too much. Sorry, Doc!).
I just want to say that I am a HUGE believer in Applied Kinesiology and would recommend to everyone to find a good AK guy near you and give them a try. You won’t regret it. Even if you think you feel pretty good, you have no idea how good you can really feel. I have never written anything this long since college, which was many moons ago, and really had a hard time with writing then, but this was kind of fun.
Well, congratulations if you made it to this point. My teammates will never believe I was capable of putting this many sentences together at one time.
–Kevin Seitzer, 3rd Baseman, Major League Baseball
Another AK physician who successfully treated Olympians was Dr. John Moore who treated Jenny Thompson at the 2000 Sydney Olympics (one of the greatest relay swimmers of all time). Dr. Moore worked with the Stanford Women’s Swimming team for nearly a decade and was invited to work with the US Olympic team in Sydney. He also was invited to work with Olympians from Brazil, Sweden, Spain, Mexico, Canada, and Trinidad. He observes that athletes from non-American countries seem to be more open to AK methods of treatment than athletes from the United States, “probably because they haven’t been brainwashed by as much advertising from drug companies.”
Jenny Thompson told The International Journal of Applied Kinesiology and Kinesiologic Medicine (2001):
AK has helped me in my career by keeping my muscles balanced and strong. I have had nagging shoulder and neck pains that have been totally controlled and cured through AK; it has helped to keep my body functioning maximally for the past 7 years. I am a 27 year old who trains up to six hours per day. For me to stay injury free for so long is pretty amazing.
Dr. Robert Blaich (ICAK USA Diplomate) began working with world class and Olympic level bicyclists in 1982. The Colorado Chiropractic Association chose him to be the first Doctor of Chiropractic on the medical staff of the Coors International Bicycle Classic. The Coors Classic was a rugged and demanding two week-long bicycle race through the Rocky Mountains and many cities throughout Colorado.
It was much like moving to a new town and starting a practice when no one knows who you are or what you do. His reception was mixed from other members of the medical staff, but Dr. Blaich built quite a following by using AK to treat the cyclists. Word of his successes spread among the riders, such that by the end of the 1982 race, he had performed more treatments than the rest of the medical staff combined, which included five MDs and several physical therapists.
While he dealt with many structural problems, especially back, knee, neck, it was enlightening to see the extent of metabolic problems that are common among cyclists in an endurance event such as this. It was also surprising how little was known about healthy diets and nutritional supplements.
After the 1982 race, Dr. Blaich was invited to return to the Coors Classic on a permanent basis. He came prepared for the 1983 with nutritional supplements that he was able to test and provide for many of the riders. At a time when athletes were mostly on high-carbohydrate and low-fat diets, AK testing revealed that most of the riders were deficient in essential fatty acids. The supplementation with specific nutrients gave an additional dimension to their performance. He wasn’t just treating them for pain, he was helping them to ride faster, longer, and stay healthy in the process.
The 1984 Coors Classic was unique in that it was held in the weeks preceding the 1984 Olympic Games and the only participants were the Olympic teams from each country, using it as preparation for the Olympics. During the first week of the Classic, he treated the Dutch and Irish teams, a variety from other countries, and numerous Americans. Dr. Blaich’s policy was that as the Olympic Road Race got closer, he would only treat American riders. He was working closely with an American rider from Aspen, Colorado, named Alexi Grewal. Alexi had a history of asthma, and Blaich was able to help him considerably in 1983 and ‘84 with AK tools.
In the week before the Olympic Road Race, which took place in Mission Viejo, California, Alexi was having difficulty with his breathing. The air quality was not the best plus there, and there had been a huge stressful event in the later stage of the Coors Classic where Alexi was disqualified and unable to finish the race, due to an illegal substance that was found in his urine. A massage therapist had recommended an herbal tea to Alexi, which he consumed not knowing it contained an amphetamine.
