What is ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUE ?
(A.R.T)
Active Release Technique® (ART) is a patented, highly advanced & specific treatment methods for soft tissue injuries, nerve entrapment, & decreased/limited range of motion & flexibility.
Each ART session consists of a combination of both examination of the injured soft tissue & targeted treatment area using both practitioners hand palpation skills & specific patient movements.
There are over 500 different hand motions/protocols taught over 8 classes that are offered to health care providers.
Yearly re-certification of at least one class is required of all ART practitioners.
Every treatment session is unique & custom made for each patient given the nature & severity of their injury.
The goal of ART is to release scar tissue or adhesions in the muscle and/or fascia (the smooth connective tissue covering of a muscle) that has accumulated over time due to injury or overuse.
Adhesions can prevent normal/smooth movement of the tissues with their surrounding structures, inducing a number of problems such as chronic inflammation & hypoxia (low oxygen), pain fluid accumulation, joint stress & nerve entrapment.
Patients treated with ART typically respond with decreased pain & increased function, flexibility & mobility.
In the ART patent document, it states that in the hands of "an expert medical practitioner" over 90 % of patients diagnosed with soft tissues adhesions had relief of their symptoms & limited range of motions over a period of six office visits (1).
How do these conditions occur ?
Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:
1. Acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc)
2. Accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
3. Not getting enough oxygen
Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness and weakness.
learn more about the benefits of ART and what to expect during your treatment, click the image below to watch a video by the founder of ART, Dr. Michael Leahy.
