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There are some people who are unconvinced about the effectiveness of the Active Release Technique, also known as ART. But in order to truly appreciate this alternative treatment method, we first have to understand how it works. Here we will talk about everything you need to know about the Active Release Technique.
What is Active Release Technique?
Active Release Technique is a non-invasive manual therapy that targets certain soft tissue structures in the body. The goal is to get rid of the adhesions within and between muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues. These adhesions may form due to sudden injury, chronic injury, and poor posture.
ART is administered by specially certified therapists who can diagnose and treat these soft tissue injuries created by scar tissue. They break up these adhesions in order to restore the patient’s range of motion and reduce the pain they are experiencing.
This natural form of treatment resolves stiffness and inflammation that can also be caused by repetitive motions.
How Does Active Release Technique Work?
An ART practitioner will examine a patient in order to diagnose their condition and determine a proper course of action. The practitioner can determine where the adhesion are and how severe the injuries to the soft tissue are. They can do this simply by touching the target areas.
This part of diagnosis is actually beneficial because these soft tissue injuries caused by scar tissue cannot be detected through MRI scans and X-ray. Because of this, we can consider ART a diagnostic tool.
Soon after locating the adhesion, treatment can be done.
ART is performed through direct contact from the doctor to the patient’s skin. They will perform specific movements, either by moving a patient’s body part or telling them to move it. The adhesions will separate in the process.
Practitioners can make use of over 500 specific moves that are unique to Active Release Technique, and all of them aim to identify or correct the specific problems affecting the patient. And since everyone has a different condition, a well-trained ART practitioner should be able to use every movement in their arsenal to suit every patient they’re treating.
Does ART Hurt?
Many patients are concerned about the movements used during treatment, and so “does ART hurt” is such a common question. But in this regard, it is very similar to chiropractic care in the way that they are both much gentler than they seem to be.
Patients may feel a bit of discomfort during the movements because the involved parts are usually sensitive—but pressure is never applied beyond what the patient could tolerate. In fact, we can compare it to a massage.
Each session may last between 15 to 30 minutes. And on average, most treatment plans involve an average of two to six visits in order to correct all of the soft tissue problems.
Look for an ART practitioner near you and find out how they can help break down the adhesions in your body!
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