Active Release Techniques
Active Release Techniques, or ART, is a patented, soft tissue system that treats problems with muscle, tendons, fascia, and nerves- Dr. Thomas Morehead is an Active Release Techniques practitioner certified in upper extremities, lower extremities, and spine, Dr. Morehead also has extra training in nerve entrapment.
ART provides effective treatment for:
- Achilles tendonitis
- Ankle Injuries
- Back Pain/Injuries
- Bursitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Compartment syndrome(chronic)
- De Quervains’s tenosynovitis
- Duputreyn’s Contracture
- Foot pain/injury
- Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis
- Golfers/Tennis elbow (Tendonitis)
- Golf injuries
- Hand injuries
- Headaches
- Hip pain
- Ilio tibial band syndrome
- Knee pain
- Leg injuries
- Neck pain
- Plantar fascitis
- Repetitive strain injuries
- Rotator cuff syndrome
- Running injuries
- Sciatica
- Shin splints
- Shoulder pain
- Sports injuries
- Tendinitis
- Tennis elbow
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Throwing injuries
- TMJ
- Whiplash
- Wrist injuries
Active Release Techniques®
Active Release Techniques (ART) has become one of the most sought after soft-tissue treatments in the world today. ART is considered the GOLD Standard in soft tissue therapy. ART is often your best bet in resolving a chronic soft tissue injury.
It is one of the most effective forms of treatment for wide variety of soft tissue and repetitive motion injuries. ART can aid in rapid recovery from a broad range of soft-tissue injuries.
ART is widely used by industry professionals suffering from both cumulative injury traumas, as well as athletes (both professional and weekend warriors) who have suffered from a sports-related injury. For example, ART has helped Olypic athletes from many countries achieve gold medals.
At AllAbout Chiropractic Care we provide a very high standard of care with Active Release Techniques.
How can you benefit from the ART method?
The power of Active Release Techniques lies in its ability to effectively resolve chronic injuries that have not responded to other forms of therapy.
If you have a soft tissue injury, your best bet for a complete resolution is to use a combination of Active Release Techniques with a solid program of rehabilitative exercises.
About Active Release Techniques
Active Release Techniques (ART) was developed by Dr. Michael Leahy ,a Doctor of Chiropractic, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Prior to becoming a Chiropractor, Dr. Leahy was an aeronautical engineer. Combining his engineering background, with his knowledge of human anatomy and soft-tissue treatment methodologies, Dr. Leahy formulated a unique and effective approach for dealing with soft-tissue injuries, now known as Active Release Techniques or ART. ART is a hands-on therapy that corrects muscular and soft-tissue problems that are caused by the formation of adhesive tissues that are laid down due to overuse or cumulative trauma.
Soft Tissue Injuries can end your career!
Cumulative trauma and overuse of soft-tissue causes Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI). The incidence of RSI’s is skyrocketing.
Recently, the health care costs for RSI in the U.S. surpassed costs for low back pain as the largest health care expenditure. It is estimated that the cost of RSI’s in the U.S. alone exceeds $110 billion yearly.
Soft tissues that is forced to perform the same job over and over becomes irritated and then inflamed. The body responds to inflammation by laying down scar tissue (adhesive tissue) in an attempt to stabilize the area. Once this happens, an ongoing cycle begins that worsens the condition. The longer this condition persists, the harder it is to break this cycle.
ART provides a way to locate, diagnose and treat the underlying cause of cumulative trauma disorders. These disorders result in symptoms of;
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Burning
- Aching
What are adhesions?
Our bodies contain special proteins structures called Fascia (a type of connective tissue). Fascial tissue interconnects all the components of your body, and acts as a flexible skeleton. When this tissue is healthy, it is smooth and slippery, allowing the muscles, nerves, blood vessels and organs to move freely and function properly.
Adhesions attach to muscles, decreasing their ability to work properly. You know you have an adhesion on a nerve if you get many abnormal sensations like numbness, tingling or pain.
Imagine a piece of scotch tape, the smooth side is healthy fascia, the sticky side is scar tissue or unhealthy fascia. Try rubbing both sides of the tape along your skin. The smooth side slide slips easily across your skin. The sticky side drags across your skin. The drag you feel, the “pulling” sensation is how an adhesion affects the smooth functioning of your body.
Are all adhesions bad for me?
No…adhesions are actually a powerful tool that your body uses to prevent further injury. Adhesions are used to help start the healing process for damaged or injured tissues, and serve to restrict the motion of the affected tissue and allow them to slowly heal.
Unfortunately, due to our active lifestyles and lack of rest to an injured area, these adhesions are not always laid down in smooth, even layers, and do not follow the direction of muscle actions.
Instead, the adhesions are often laid down in different directions, in a random and chaotic manner. This then causes restrictions in the free movement of your tissues.
This is where Active Release becomes a powerful tool for restoring the free movement of your tissues!
Who can benefit from ART?
ART can help everyone, from athletes, to office workers, to home keeper.
Many professional athletes have come to regard Active Release Techniques very highly for it almost miraculous treatment of serious injuries. Big names like Donavan Bailey, Olympic gold medalist, hockey player Gary Roberts have benefited from ART. For example Gary Roberts was initially unable to return to hockey after two neck surgeries failed to correct his dizzy spells. He credits Dr. Leahy and ART with correcting the problem and allowing him to return to Hockey.
If you have any type of repetitive strain injury (RSI) ART should be your first choice.
Athletes, at all levels can experience improved performance through ART treatments.
What does an ART treatment feel like?
ART is not a magical bullet or a cure-all. Active Release Techniques is non invasive, very safe, has virtually no side effects and has a record for producing very good results.
Treatments can feel uncomfortable during the movement phases as the scar tissue or adhesions “break up”. This discomfort is temporarily 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 take an average of 8 to 15 minutes per area treated and can require 4 to 15 visits to completely break up the adhesions. “It is a good hurt”.
Will my condition or problem return after treatment?
Once the Art practitioner has released the restrictive adhesions between tissues, post-treatment exercises become a critical part of the healing process and act to ensure the RSI does not return.
There are four fundamental areas that must be addressed in any exercise program:
Flexibility
Good flexibility enables muscles and joints to move through their full range of motion. Poor flexibility leads to a higher chance of injury to muscles, tendons and ligaments. Stretching exercises are only effective if they are executed after the adhesions within the soft-tissue have been released. Stretching exercises are only effective after the adhesions within the soft-tissue have been released. Stretching exercises that are applied to adhered tissues above and below the restrictions will only stretch the tissue above and below the restrictions. The actual restricted and adhered tissues are seldom stretched, leading to further biomechanical imbalances.
Strength
Strengthening exercises are most effective after the adhesions within the soft-tissue have been released. Attempts to strengthen already shortened and contracted muscles only result in further contraction and restriction. This causes the formation of yet more adhesions and restrictive tissues, and exacerbates the Repetitive Injury Cycle. This is why the application of generic or non-specific strengthening exercises for RSI seldom works.
Balance and Proprioception
Proprioception describes the body’s ability to react appropriately (through balance and touch) to external forces. Proprioception exercises should begin early in the rehabilitation process. Effective Proprioception exercises are designed to restore kinesthetic awareness of the patient. These exercises form the basis for the ability, strength, and endurance required for complete rehabilitation.
Cardiovascular
Cardiovascular or aerobic exercises are essential for restoring good circulation and for increased oxygen delivery to soft-tissues. Lack of oxygen and poor circulation is a primary accelerant of repetitive strain injuries.
Call Today to schedule your appointment to see if Active Release Techniques can help you. 765-342-2000.