Active Release Technique (ART)

Active Release Technique is a cutting-edge soft tissue management system that deals with injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. It was developed by a chiropractor, Dr. Michael Leahy, who works with members of the U.S. Olympic team, the Denver Broncos and many other athletes. But ART is not just for athletes: it can help anybody who has injured soft tissue through trauma or repetitive stress.

Back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, headaches, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. Less than 1% of health care providers have undergone the rigorous training necessary to become an ART provider.

Active Release Technique in Berkeley, CA

ART helps remove scar tissue, assisting the nerves to slide freely through the soft tissues again and thus resolving the symptoms completely. Though ART is relatively unknown to the general population, its quite popular among professional athletes.

When repairing muscles, tendons, ligaments or even nerves, the body’s quick-fix solution is to slop down scar tissue for the patch-up. Scar tissue is the cheapest kind of tissue that the body manufactures. As you can see from old cuts on your skin, it takes a long time for the body to replace quick-fix scar tissue with tissue that looks and feels normal and that works normally. Scar tissue is a lot like glue: it helps your body stick things together. This is very good when you sprain your ankle, as this ‘glue’ holds the torn fibers together so they can heal. Problems arise, however, when the body overdoes it and starts gluing other parts of your soft tissue together.

Because of its ability to locate specifically and release sites with scar tissue or adhesion, Active Release Technique is a very advanced therapeutic treatment for resolving soft tissue injuries. If you have any type of repetitive strain injury (RSI), ART should be your first choice. Athletes at all levels and anyone suffering from soft tissue injuries can experience improved performance through ART treatments.

What About Surgery vs. Active Release Treatment?

This question comes up frequently in the discussion of carpal tunnel syndrome and other nerve entrapment syndromes.

While surgery is always an option, one should carefully consider its impact and also consider alternatives to surgery. Surgery can cause irreversible side effects. One should also remember that, by its nature, surgery will result in the formation of more scar tissue in the course of the healing process. For some problems, this won’t matter much, but for others, it may aggravate an already existing problem involving too much scar tissue.

Can ART Help Even After Surgery?

ART can often help many conditions, even after surgery, and can also expedite post-surgical recovery. Paul often achieves very good results with clients who have already been treated surgically for carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder pain, knee pain and spinal pain.