One technique that is safe and highly effective at treating soft tissue injuries is called Active Release Techniques, or ART for short. ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, knee pain, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, 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 are often a result of overused muscles.
ART has been developed, refined, and patented by Dr. Michael Leahy. Dr. Leahy noticed that the symptoms of his patients seem to be related to changes in their soft tissue 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 90% of the problems of his patients. Dr. Leahy came up with The Cumulative Injury Cycle, Fig 11. Dr. Leahy figured out that the over-used muscles results in weak and tight muscles. This then causes friction and tension on the muscle, which decreases the circulation, causing swelling (Edema). The decreased circulation and swelling lead to decreased oxygen called “hypoxia.” Hypoxia in the muscles leads to the formation of scar tissue or adhesions in the muscles. The muscle adhesions then put additional stress on the muscles, making the muscles overworked, which lead to more injuries and pain.
A great example of this is how many people have gone to get a massage, and the massage felt great. Then, the next day or a few hours later, the muscle pain or tightness comes right back. In that case, the muscles have scar tissue and adhesions, and the massages do not loosen up the adhesions. So, as soon the massage is over, the problem comes right back.
In my chiropractic office in Springfield, VA, I work closely with my massage therapists, because they recognize when a patient has muscle adhesions. They refer the patient to me for ART to fix the adhesions. Once we remove the adhesions, the patient then gets referred back the to the massage therapist for their normal massage.
So, you might be asking how this overuse or repetitive strain conditions occur. Repetitive strain injuries occur from three different ways. They are:
- Acute injuries (such as pulls, tears, collisions, etc)
- Accumulation of small tears from micro-trauma (such as sitting on a computer for 8 hours a day)
- Not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)
Each of these factors can cause your body to produce to tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up and ties down the tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on the tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can result in the reduction of the range of motion,, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped, you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.
A great example of this process is with carpal tunnel syndrome. Did you know when the computer was invented there was a dramatic increase in carpal tunnel syndrome cases? The reason why there was such an enormous increase in the amount of cases is because the amount of recovery time.
Before computers, when people typed on typewriters the recovery time between key strokes was much greater. It took a longer amount of time for the key to be pressed down, resulting in a great recovery time for the muscles performing that action before the next key was pressed. Once the computer came around, the recovery time between key strokes was significantly decreased. In the process, it has decreased the recovery time for the muscles, performing the action, thus, leading to more rapid repetitive motions.
So, you might be wondering, what is ART treatment like? Every ART treatment is actually a combination of an examination and a treatment. The ART doctor uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal soft tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.
There are over 500 different treatment protocols unique to ART. This allows the providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient. ART is a safe and highly effective treatment for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. If you are suffering from chronic muscle tightness or you have suffered a recent muscle injury gives a call at (703) 912-7822.
Active Release Techniques has always set the best standard when it comes to treating soft tissue injuries. Often this is a critical, yet overlooked aspect of an injury.
In 2002 I discovered Active Release Techniques, ART, a medically patented technique developed by Dr. Michael Leahy. I was amazed at the ART treatment I personally received which immediately resolved my chronic shoulder, knee, and ankle problems that had responded minimally to other types of care. “ART gave me my life back.” I got my “game” back, I began running, cycling, swimming, etc.. I give all of the credit to ART.”
Thank you for posting this article. I would love to learn this technique. I have quite a few patients who that would work great for.