SF Ballet
Eric
Bellarmine High School to UCLA
FAQs
What is Active Release Technique (ART)?ART stands for Active Release Technique. The ART soft tissue management system is a highly successful approach to injuries of muscles, tendons, fascia, nerves, and the surrounding soft tissue. Common examples of these conditions are tennis elbow, nerve entrapment/impingement, carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff syndrome, chronic low-back pain, and whiplash.
ART provides a way to evaluate and treat the underlying causes of cumulative trauma disorders that result is symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, burning and aching. ART is a type of manual hands-on therapy that corrects muscular and soft tissue problems caused by adhesion formation as a result of injury, overuse or cumulative trauma, as well as poor posture and poor ergonomics.
How Do Overuse Injuries Occur?
Over-used muscles (and other soft tissue) change in three important ways:
- acute injuries (pulls, tears, collisions, etc.)
- accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
- not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)
What is Cumulative Trauma?
Cumulative Trauma disorder (CTD), Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI), Repetitive Motion injury are all used to describe problems that arise from the cumulative injury cycle (CIC). Some common names of these conditions are Carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff syndrome, chronic low back pain, and poor posture. CTDs create physical signs and symptoms that are predictable and correctable using ART.
What is the Cumulative Injury Cycle (CIC)?
If you set a pendulum into motion, you don't have to keep pushing it each time, it keeps going! Our bodies respond in much the same way. That's why it hurts even after the stress is removed. The cycle can be started in three ways, Acute Injury, Repetitive Injury and constant Pressure or Tension. Left uncorrected, they lead to inflammation, adhesions/fibrosis, weak and tense tissues and decreased circulation all in a specific progression called the Cumulative Injury Cycle.
How do I know if I have a problem?
Our bodies are very adaptable, they have to be to survive. Our bodies protect us from damage with pain signals and repair damaged areas with scar tissue. Very often, we think we are "better" after the pain goes away, however, what has happened is that the problem area "healed" with scar tissue. You probably will not be aware of the problem until a later date, maybe years from the original injury. You can recognize adhesion problems by loss of function. Loss of function could be a decrease in range of motion, weakness, stiffness, soreness and many other symptoms that many like to call "getting older". More accurately it's "getting stuck to yourself"
What are adhesions?
Our bodies contain special protein structures called connective tissue, also know as Fascia. This substance connects each part to other parts and the whole, very much like a flexible skeleton. When this tissue is healthy it is smooth and slippery, allowing the muscles, nerves, blood vessels or organs to move freely and function properly. Imagine a piece of scotch tape, the smooth side is healthy fascia, the sticky side is scar tissue or unhealthy fascia. Rub the tape along your skin, both sides, to "feel" what an adhesion is like. The drag that you feel, the "pulling" sensation, is what an adhesion is like. These adhesions attach to muscles decreasing their ability to work properly. You really know when you have an adhesion on a nerve, as you get many abnormal sensations like numbness, tingling or pain.
What is the difference between ART and massage?
They may look and sound similar, but the procedures are actually very different and the results they produce are very different. There are many types of massage and, generally, massage promotes relaxation and circulation. Neuromuscular Massage gets more specific but it does not fix the soft tissue and make it work properly. ART is protocol specific for the correction of adhesions & scar tissues. Anyone who has had ART can tell you, it's NOT massage!
Does ART help trigger points?
Yes, trigger points are tender spots in muscles that cause you to feel referred pain. For example, a trigger point in your infraspinatus muscle, the lower half of your shoulder blade, will tell your brain that there is a problem in the front of the shoulder. "Where it hurts it ain't!" By correcting the muscle function the trigger point goes away and so does the pain referral. Trigger points are a great indicator that ART is the treatment you need!
Why haven't I heard of ART before?
Proficiency at ART takes a long time to develop. Training is hands on. The right touch is the most difficult aspect to learn. It takes a strong commitment of time, effort and resources to become a provider. A few desire to do what it takes. Consequently, there is a small but growing number of providers that have been personally trained by Dr. Leahy. ART is rapidly becoming THE choice for TOP athletes.
How do I know if someone provides Active Release?
Ask to see the provider certificate signed by Dr. Leahy. Many practitioners may say they do ART, when actually they do not. There are many types of treatments for soft tissue that other people call active release. Call the ART home office for verification of their credentials at 719-473-7000, or check out the official ART website at activerelease.com. Click on the link below, click ‘Find a Provider,’ and enter your zip code or city. Or click on ‘Meet the Staff’ and scroll down to find Anthony Gilbert. It's that simple!
Who can benefit from ART?
ART has become regarded as a kind of "miracle treatment" for pro-level athletes. Big names like Donovan Bailey, Olympic gold medalist and Gary Roberts, professional hockey player, have benefited from ART. Roberts was able to return to hockey after two neck surgeries failed to correct his dizzy spells, he credits Dr. Leahy and ART with fixing the problem. However, ART can benefit anyone, from the serious athlete to the weekend warrior to the office worker with repetitive stress or pain.
Do I really need surgery?
Sometimes surgery is a clear-cut case, a torn meniscus or ligament. Yet other times it is less clear cut. Chronic pain and joint trouble may actually be in the muscles and connective tissue and not in the joint. If you surgeon wants to "Scope it " and see what happens, you should consider ART. It is very common to restore proper function to a particular muscle or group of muscle and have the chronic symptoms disappear. You need to know what is wrong to properly correct it. Consider ART before surgery.
What is an ART treatment like?
Active Release Techniques is noninvasive, very safe, has virtually no side effects and comes with a record of very good results. Treatments can be uncomfortable during the movement phases as the scar tissue or adhesions "break up." This is temporary and subsides almost immediately after the treatment. It is common to feel a duplication of your symptoms during the treatment, a good indication that the problem has been identified. Treatments are about 8–15 minutes per area treated. At The Athlete’s Edge, an initial visit is 45 minutes, and follow-up sessions are 15–30 minutes or 45 minutes. It is helpful to wear shorts or light cotton pants for lower extremity and back problems, or a sleeveless shirt for upper extremity issues.
Is the treatment painful?
The first one or two treatments can be somewhat uncomfortable depending on the severity of the condition and the patient's pain tolerance. However, even if the treatment is uncomfortable and reproduces their symptoms, this is only temporary and will stop a few seconds after the treatment.
How long do the treatments take?
The initial consultation, history, examination, and treatment will require 45 minutes. Subsequent treatments take 15–45 minutes. The number of treatments required to resolve a problem depends on many factors and almost always falls between 2 and 20, with an average of 4 –10.
How soon can I expect results?
In most cases, following the first treatment a patient will experience a positive result. This may be an increased range of motion, less pain, increased muscle strength, or decreased numbness and tingling.
Is this similar to other soft tissue treatments like trigger point therapy, ischemic compression, Rolfing, etc.?
No. ART is very different from any other soft tissue, bodywork, massage, or other therapy. ART is very specific and the results achieved utilizing this technique are much more predictable.
Once my problem has been corrected what are the chances of the problem returning?
If the patient is advised as to any lifestyle modifications and follows through with the prescribed exercise/stretches, the likelihood of the condition recurring is very low. Dr. Leahy reported a recurrence rate of only 4% in his carpal tunnel study, of which half had not followed through with their exercises.
Can I benefit from ART even if I have already been evaluated and treated by other doctors and specialists?
Only a provider experienced and trained in ART can determine if you might benefit from this treatment. Most of the cases seen in the office are those patients whom have been treated by other health care providers unsuccessfully. Most of these patients are happily surprised when they experience an improvement in their condition after just one or two treatments.
Who would benefit from this care?
Anyone who is looking to improve his or her performance or fix an injury will benefit from care.
Do I need to be in pain to receive care?
You definitely don't need to have pain to benefit from care. Most athletes have accumulated injuries over the years and are suffering from compromised performance as a result. Often the athlete is aware of this but does not think there is anything that can be done (i.e. "Ever since I sprained my ankle I can't run as fast"). Sometimes the athlete is entirely unaware of the deficiency.
Can anyone perform ART?
No. Training consists of a series of post-graduate classes, written and practical testing, and many hours of biomechanics instruction.
Does my insurance cover ART?
Many insurance companies do cover ART. Some of the insurances cover all of the ART procedures, some cover half, and some don't cover it at all. Please contact your insurance claims adjuster and inquire if ART can be covered when given by a massage therapist.
What is the relationship between ART and the Ironman triathlon?
The Ironman triathlon is one of the most challenging in the world. Many of these athletes suffer from overuse injuries and benefit greatly from ART/ Ironman Performance Care. ART providers are invited to treat athletes at most of the Ironman races worldwide. You can read about their stories on the web at Ironmanlive.com, just click on the training bar and go to A.R.T. Doc.
What Is the History of Active Release Techniques?
ART has been developed, refined, and patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP. Dr. Leahy noticed that his patients’ symptoms seemed to be related to changes in their soft tissues 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 over 90% of his patients’ problems. He now teaches and certifies health care providers to use ART.