Active Release Techniques® Soft Tissue Management System (ART®) is a patented, 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 with ART®. ART® stretches, separates, and releases soft tissue adhesions which restores vascular and lymph circulation, increases range of motion, and increases over all strength. Soft tissues generally refer to muscles, tendons, ligaments and surrounding soft tissues. The care is aggressive with results that are mostly immediate. ART® essentially prepares tissues for proper rehabilitation. When a soft tissue problem has been resolved, the symptoms will not return unless the injury recurs.
ART® is non-invasive, very safe, and has virtually no side effects. After an ART® treatment, there is seldom any bruising in the superficial tissues as most protocols travel with the venous flow. To avoid future injuries LVPRC patients are instructed to perform injury specific exercises, given both postural recommendations and a clear understanding of the mechanism of injury to prevent re-injury. ART® continues to be one of the most effective forms of treatment for repetitive-motion injuries and is considered to be the Gold Standard in soft tissue therapy. ART® has helped Olympic athletes achieve gold medals and has allowed injured athletes to return quickly to their training protocols.
With a success rate of over 90%, Active Release Techniques® has become one of most sought after soft tissue treatments in the world today.
What is Scar Tissue:
First, you must understand a very important concept.
It is impossible for muscles, tendons, and ligaments to have scar tissue adhesions or tears and function normally at 100%. It is simply impossible!
This simple comparison may help you to get a better understanding or mental picture of the scar tissues and their effect upon the body's tissues and functions. Imagine a paintbrush with paint in the bristles. If you leave the paint in the bristles for any length of time, the bristles start to stick together and adhere to each other. The longer the paint sits on the brush, the drier and harder the brush becomes. This hard, dry brush is similar to the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your body when there is an injury. When there is any injury, your body's tissues start to stick together just like the paintbrush. Your body essentially creates an internal scar very similar to scars you can see on your skin; however, scars in the soft tissues can be corrected and often returned to normal.
Every ART® session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART® provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tension, movement, and function of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific movements. After establishing an accurate and specific diagnosis, we treat our patients with specific hands on soft tissue manipulation. Once the lesion has been found, we take the involved tissue from a shortened to a fully lengthened position while the doctor's hand moves in the same longitudinal direction as the soft tissue fibers to remove the adhesions. This can be a bit uncomfortable if the tissues are adhered. Almost all the ART® protocols performed travel in the same direction as the muscle fibers.
The ART® protocols aid lymphatic and venous drainage, prevent bleeding or bruising, and prevent further inflammation. The interesting part about ART® is that 90% of the treatment is performed during the last 10% percent of the treatment motion. This is when the largest number of restrictions are released. Advanced ART® doctors know exactly how far they can take the tissues to maximize results.
These treatment protocols – over 500 of them - are unique to ART®. They allow providers to identify and to correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient.
Treatments take about 8-15 minutes for each area being treated. A condition may require two to ten visits before full functionality is restored. Joint manipulations and physical therapy are frequently carried out in conjunction with ART® to increase treatment effectiveness.
Patients are tested on tissue texture, tissue tension, and tissue perfromance after four to six visits. Treatments can feel uncomfortable during the movement phases as the scar tissue or adhesions "break-up." This discomfort is temporary and subsides almost immediately after the treatment. It is common for the patient to feel a duplication of his or her symptoms during the ART® treatment; this is a good indication that the problem has been located and identified.
It is extremely important that all motions using ART® are performed at a very slow controlled rate. Fast motions increase a patient's pain and make for a less effective treatment. Whenever possible, patients are asked to perform active movements during the treatment process as the active motion is vital in removing the restrictions. Active motions stimulate neurological pathways in the spinal cord that help to reduce pain during treatment. Motion also helps to reproduce the stresses the patient will actually be under during normal active motion. Patients can expect their strength, speed, and endurance to improve within the first 8-10 treatments.
Once maximum performance is achieved, the final phase of care is a maintenance program specifically designed to maintain a healthy and a pain free lifestyle.
