Brian's Education

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Active Release Technique

Active Release Technique® (or ART® ) is a type of manual hands-on therapy that corrects soft tissue problems and injuries. Soft tissues refers primarily to muscles, tendons, fascia and nerves. Many types of injuries are treated using this technique. Some of the specific injuries that are treated include repetitive strains, adhesions, tissue hypoxia, and joint dysfunction.


The ART® practitioner finds the exact tissue that is injured or causing the problem and then physically works that tissue back to its normal texture, tension and length.

The ART® practitioner also finds muscles and other tissues that have developed adhesions between them. An adhesion, which is basically like scar tissue that builds up between the muscle layers, can act like a glue restricting the normal sliding motions of the various tissue layers. ART® is used to break apart these adhesions and allow the muscles and nerves to move freely once again. Restoring proper nerve and muscle movement allows the body to perform at its most efficient level.

The manual technique used by the ART® provider is not invasive, it is very specific, and provides excellent results. Usually a patient will see significant results within just a few visits.