Injuries to the soft tissues are very common, no matter how active or not you are. Active Release Technique (ART) is very effective at treating muscle, tendon, fascial, and ligament injuries, especially those due to repetitive stress like tennis elbow, rotator cuff injuries, shoulder blade pain, glute pain, and plantar fasciitis. ART is non-invasive and can help you avoid medication and surgery while helping you make a fully recovery.
Understanding ART
ART is a manual therapy that can treat almost any soft-tissue structure. It involves identifying restricted and inflamed tissue, shortening it, applying tension along the fibers of the tissue, and stretching the tissue, preferably actively by the patient, through its full range of motion.
ART is often our first choice for patients with chronic overuse injuries. Repetitive strain causes decreased oxygen to tissue, resulting in damage, scar tissue, and restricted mobility. Some of the injuries that can benefit from ART include:
- Back pain
- Plantar fasciitis
- Shin splints
- Knee problems
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Headaches
- Tennis elbow
- Pain in the shoulder
- Sciatica
What to Expect from the Active Release Technique
We start with a consultation and comprehensive physical exam to determine the source of your problems. Then we create an individualized treatment plan using some of the 500+ distinct protocols taught to ART practitioners.
ART treatment will feel like a combination of trigger point therapy and stretching simultaneously. The practitioner finds the spot in the tissue that needs to be addressed, sets their hand to the appropriate depth, and then stretches the muscle or ligament through its full range of motion. This movement causes a sliding motion of nerves, muscles, and additional soft tissues under the contact point in order to remove restrictions and encourage healthy motion of tissues relative to each other.
ART allows for the identification and treatment of all affected tissue and sometimes achieves a quick and complete resolution. This therapy benefits many patients suffering from the formation of scar tissue after tearing a muscle, ligament, or tendon.
Schedule a Consultation with Our Chiropractors in Newton, MA
The first priority at Newton Center Chiropractic is finding the underlying cause of a patient’s pain before starting treatment with chiropractic care. Whether that treatment includes the active release technique or another type of therapy, our treatment plans are non-invasive and designed to foster the body’s natural healing process. Call our team at Newton Center Chiropractic today at (617) 332-9080 to schedule a consultation with one of our chiropractors.