Active Release Technique (ART)

[John Benz]

What is Active Release Technique (ART)?

ART is a patented, state-of-the-art soft tissue system that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they often result from injury to over-used muscles.

How do overuse injuries occur?

Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:

• acute injuries (pulls, tears, collisions, etc)
  
• accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
  
• not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)

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 up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced ranges of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.

What is an ART treatment like?

Every ART session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.

These treatment protocols – over 500 of them - are unique to ART. They allow providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient. ART is not a cookie-cutter approach.

What is the history of Active Release Techniques?

ART has been developed, refined, and patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP. Dr. Leahy noticed that his patients’ symptoms seemed to be related to changes in their soft tissues that could be felt by hand. By observing how muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves responded to different types of work, Dr. Leahy was able to consistently resolve over 90% of his patients’ problems. He now teaches and certifies health care providers to use ART.

The following is a list of conditions effectively treated via ART:

Arthritis
Achilles tendonitis
Ankle Injuries
Athletic Injuries
Back Pain/Injuries
Bicepital Tendonitis
Bunions
Bursitis
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Compartment syndrome (Chronic)
De Quervains's tenosynovitis
Dupuytren's contracture
Foot pain/injury
Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis
Gait Imbalances
Golfers/Tennis elbow (Tendonitis)
Golf Injuries
Hammer Toes
Hand Injuries
Headaches
Hip Pain
Ilio tibial band syndrome
Impingement syndromes
Joint dysfunction
Knee meniscus injuries
Knee Pain
Leg Injuries
Muscle pulls or strains
Muscle weakness
Myofascitis
Neck Pain
Nerve Entrapment Syndromes
Performance Care
Plantar Fascitis
Post surgical
Repetitive strain injuries
Rib Pain
Rotator cuff syndrome
Running Injuries
Scar Tissue Formation
Sciatica
Shin splints
Shoulder Pain
Sports Injuries
Swimmers Shoulder
Tendinitis
Tennis elbow
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Throwing Injuries
TMJ
Weight Lifting Injuries
Whiplash (Hyperextension/hyperflexion injury)
Wrist Injuries

Many of these conditions can be resolved in just a few visits. Athletes find that they are able to resume training quickly with ART treatment. Non- athletes find they can quickly resume their duties at work, etc.

To find the nearest ART Doc, go to the ART website at www.activerelease.com and click on the locator OR go directly to: http://www.activerelease.com/providerSearch.asp.
Then indicate your zip code, etc and how far radius you want to search. It will list the ART Docs in the radius you've indicated.

Each listed will indicate their ART certification. Check the certification as follows:

If you have an arm, elbow, wrist, hand, shoulder problem, etc. you will need a Doc certified in "Upper Extremity".

If you have a hip, leg, knee, ankle, foot, toe problem you will need a Doc certified in "Lower Extremity".

If you have a problem in the trunk, chest or spine you need a Doc certified in "Spine".

Many Docs are certifed in all three.... they do it all.

[CYCLEON]

I have had several friends use this and it does work - some major people in various sports are devotees of this - no more 50 chiropratic visits, this takes only one or two - warning tho, it is NOT fun, from what i hear - the "massage" is fairly painfull - but it DOES work

[Swellin]

Wesley (Iron Addict) has been trying to get me to go to one of these for a year now. After seeing my application to become a trainee and watching my lifts..he said I obviously have a shoulder blockage that could be repaired by going to an ART specialist. I really want to try one. I've researched it, and these folks can do wonders. Truly advanced athletes are able to perform at their peak without drastically reduced down time. I think this is a fantastic option for many of us...specially us old farts who are pretty beat up.

I've got to find one closer than 3 hours away.

[chicamahomico]

Like Swellin I am somewhat of a banged up semi-old fart and have wanted to give ART a rip since I first read about it on TMag several years ago but I have the same problem, finding one closer than a couple hours drive.

I have inquired about ART with a few massage therapists in the past and my current massage therapist and they all seem to think that ART provides no more benefit than a rigorous deep tissue massage....ie they seem to think ART is basically a patented same old, same old.....kind of like Bikram yoga guy really added nothing new to his patented yoga sequence. Anybody have any thoughts on this or heard any opinions from health care professionals?