Quantum Reflex Analysis explained plainly by Dr. Danielle Smith, DO — what it is, the four ways it's used, what a session feels like, and what it can and cannot tell us.
I didn’t learn this in medical school.
Eight years of medical training taught me how to interpret labs, scans, and charts—and I still rely on and value them. These tools can show us what is happening, but they often cannot explain why or lead us to the underlying cause.
If you’ve ever been told, “Your tests are normal,” even though you knew something wasn’t right, I understand—I’ve been there. QRA is one of the tools I use to look beyond the numbers and explore what may be contributing to your symptoms.
What QRA Is
Quantum Reflex Analysis is a gentle, hands-on assessment method used to evaluate the body’s responses at specific locations, including primary acupuncture points and organ and gland reflex points.
QRA evolved from Dr. Yoshiaki Omura’s O-Ring Test and was further refined by Dr. Robert Marshall of Premier Research Labs. Today, practitioners across the country—including allopathic physicians, osteopathic physicians, naturopaths, chiropractors, and acupuncturists—incorporate it into their work. I am one of the few practitioners offering QRA in the Colorado Springs area.
Your body runs on energy
God created light — energy — on the very first day, and He built that same energy into every cell of our bodies.
Medicine already knows this. Your heart runs on an electrical signal (we measure it with an EKG). Your brain does too (EEG), and so do your nerves and muscles (EMG). Every healthy cell holds an electrical charge, and that charge weakens when a cell is stressed or depleted.
QRA works from that same truth: your body's energy can be tested — with hands instead of electrodes.
Four ways I use QRA
1. Organs and glands. I begin by testing primary acupuncture points to identify which organs and glands may need support. Every personalized protocol starts here.
2. Hidden interference fields. The lingering effects of scars, surgeries, injuries, and physical or emotional trauma may disrupt energy elsewhere in the body—even after pain or distress has subsided—and cause healing to stall.
3. Food sensitivities. I test specific foods to see how your body responds to them right now. I can also test products you use regularly, including supplements, household cleaners, and even jewelry.
4. Hidden emotional trauma. Grief and fear can settle in the body. QRA helps identify where these patterns may be held so we can support their release through Emotional Repolarization—without requiring you to retell or relive the experience.
What to Expect During a QRA Session
You stay fully clothed. Nothing invasive, nothing painful.
We'll both stand, if possible. Sitting works, and I'll always adjust for comfort — but standing is better, especially for the abdominal points.
You make an "O" with the thumb and a finger (usually the ring finger) of one hand
Keep your eyes open during testing. Look ahead naturally and remain relaxed while maintaining the finger ring.
With two fingers of your other hand, you press firmly on a test point on your own body.
I gently try to open your "O." If it holds strong, that area is doing well. If it gives, that's where your body needs support.
Then we test formulas the same way — narrowing a huge list of options down to the few your body responds to best. Not a protocol off a shelf. Yours.
Body-Point Pressure and O-Ring Resistance
Pressure on the body: Place two fingertips on the designated point with firm, comfortable contact—enough to stay securely on the spot, but never enough to cause pain or bruising.
Strength of the “O”: Press the thumb and selected fingertip together to form a closed ring, then maintain steady resistance as I apply gentle, even outward pressure. Hold firmly enough to resist the pull without squeezing as hard as possible, straining, or causing discomfort. Available descriptions emphasize a consistent, controlled effort rather than a universally established force.
Why Finger Selection Matters
According to bio-magnetic research, each fingertip carries its own polarity, alternating across the hand:
Right hand: forefinger positive, middle negative, ring positive, little finger negative.
Left hand: the opposite.
That's why the fingers used in testing are chosen on purpose.
Testing Children and People with Limited Hand Strength
If someone can't hold the "O" themselves — a baby, a young child, or someone with weak or injured hands — a surrogate (often a parent) holds it while touching them, and we test through the surrogate. Nobody is too young or too frail to be tested.
Preparing for Your Appointment
Please trim long fingernails. Long nails make it hard to form a tight "O" and hard to test accurately.
Hold non-prescription formulas and supplements before testing. Unless I advise otherwise, please do not take vitamins, herbs, or other nutritional formulas before your QRA appointment, as they may affect the testing response. Continue all prescribed medications exactly as directed, and never stop or change a prescription without first consulting the clinician who prescribed it.
Remove metal jewelry and battery-powered devices before testing. Please remove watches, smartwatches, rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other metal jewelry, and set aside phones and other battery-powered electronics during the QRA portion of your visit.
Why the First Visit Lasts Four Hours
The QRA testing itself is relatively brief. Most of the four-hour visit is devoted to conversation—your health history, home environment and potential exposures, questions, and, above all, nutrition.
The nutrition discussion often takes the most time because some recommendations may differ from what you have heard before. The information can be eye-opening and, at times, challenging. I do not rush the conversation; understanding the reasoning behind a plan is essential to feeling confident and prepared to follow it.
You leave with a written protocol, an educational binder, and a recipe book—along with a clear understanding of each recommendation and its purpose.
How O-Ring Testing Differs from Other Muscle Testing
The most familiar form of muscle testing uses an outstretched arm, while QRA uses the O-ring. In practice, the smaller muscles of the hand can be used repeatedly across multiple test points and may reduce some of the leaning or bracing that can occur with arm testing. As with any hands-on assessment, however, consistency in positioning, pressure, timing, and technique matters.
The body’s electrical and electromagnetic activity is real and measurable, although that does not by itself validate every interpretation made through energy-based testing. Research specific to QRA remains developing, and the response can vary with both practitioner technique and the client’s participation. I therefore view QRA as a useful, but not perfect, clinical tool—one that I consider alongside your history, symptoms, examination, conventional testing when appropriate, and, most importantly, how you respond over time.
What QRA Is—and Is Not
· QRA is not a medical diagnosis or diagnostic test. It is one assessment tool I use to help guide a broader, individualized evaluation.
· QRA is not an allergy test. Never reintroduce a known or suspected allergen based on QRA findings.
· QRA does not replace your physician or prescribed care. Continue working with your health care providers, and do not stop or change prescribed medications without consulting the clinician who prescribed them.
· QRA is not a substitute for compassionate, qualified mental health care. Emotional Repolarization may be used as a gentle wellness practice, but it is not psychotherapy and is not intended to diagnose or treat trauma, anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions. If you are receiving mental health support—or feel that additional support could be helpful—I encourage you to continue working with an appropriately licensed professional.
Why I Use QRA
My interest in QRA began with my own health journey.
For years, I sensed that my health was quietly declining in ways conventional testing had not fully explained. Nutrition, rest, plants, faith, and time all became important parts of rebuilding my well-being. QRA helped me identify a place to begin and provided a practical framework for moving forward.
God created your body with an extraordinary capacity for healing. I am not the healer, nor is healing a power we generate within ourselves—it is part of God’s intentional design. My role is to provide guidance, support, and companionship as your body follows the healing processes He created.
Questions Before You Book?
Questions are always welcome — ask me anything before you ever book.
Email: info@maggies-roots.com.
QRA is an assessment technique used to personalize nutritional and botanical support. It is not a diagnosis, a lab test, an allergy test, or a replacement for your physician. Danielle C. Smith, DO is a licensed physician in Colorado; services at Maggie's Roots are offered in a wellness and educational capacity only.