Active Release Therapy
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.
For more informatin on ART, go to www.activerelease.com.
