| Active Release Techniques (A.R.T.) |
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The Active Release Techniques® Soft Tissue Management System was developed and founded by Dr. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP. Dr. Leahy is currently conducting research with the University of California San Diego Medical School on cumulative trauma disorders. Additionally, he serves on the Colorado Division of Worker’s Compensation Guidelines Committee for the treatment of cumulative trauma disorders. Active Release Technique provides a way to diagnose and treat the underlying causes of a variety of conditions called cumulative trauma disorders. These disorders are also known as repetitive stress injuries or "overuse" syndromes. These syndromes are given familiar names like rotator cuff syndrome, tendonitis and plantar fascitis. Other conditions that fall directly into this category are post- operative scar tissue, carpal tunnel, chronic low back pain, and hyper extension/flexion injury (whiplash).
Understanding Soft Tissue Dysfunction Symptoms of cumulative trauma disorders may be felt as sensations of stiffness, tingling, burning, aching and weakness. When a muscle, tendon, ligament, or nerve is damaged from trauma or overuse, the body will attempt to repair the damage with scar tissue. During this repair process adhesions may form between nearby structures, left untreated this can result in progressive loss of function and increased pain. Soft tissue dysfunction often leads to a loss of flexibility, strength, and range of motion. People often attribute these losses to "just getting old", but this is seldom the case. Active Release Technique separates and releases scar tissue adhesions. This leads to increased range of motion, flexibility, muscle strength, and helps restore lymphatic and vascular circulation that has been compressed by surrounding tissues due to scarrring. Regardless of your activity level you can benefit from Active Release. From injuries due to accidents, to problems that have developed slowly over time, Active Release Technique has proven to be a fast, effective, non-invasive way to heal a wide variety of soft tissue injuries.
Why Active Release Technique is Different Active Release Technique is a highly successful approach to injuries of muscles, tendons, nerves, and the surrounding soft tissues. Active Release Technique is not massage, physiotherapy, or chiropractic care. While those procedures help relieve muscle spasm and joint dysfunction, they do not necessarily address the underlying problems due to restricted motion caused by scar tissue adhesion formation. Active Release Technique has proven to be especially valuable for athletes, from the professional to the beginner. Ninety percent of the time, athletes with acute or long-standing muscular strain/sprain injuries experience complete recovery, in a short period of time. Many patients experience immediate improvement on the first visit, with complete recovery after only 5-10 treatments, depending on the severity and extent of their injury. Returning you to top performance as quickly as possible saves you money and lets you enjoy your active lifestyle. |
