Active Release Therapy
The ART of Active Release Therapy
In today’s world, we are all constantly pushing our bodies to the absolute limit. Whether we’re working long hours, eating on the run or just trying to keep up, conditions are far harder on our bodies than ever before.
As we try to keep up with the pace, our bodies can often only do quick patch-up jobs on the damage that we do to ourselves. When repairing muscles, tendons, ligaments or even nerves, the body’s quick-fix solution is to lay down scar tissue. Scar tissue is the crudest grade of tissue that the body manufactures and, as you can see from old cuts on your skin, it takes a long time to be replaced by tissue that looks, feels or functions normally.
The CTD cycle
Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD) is an injury that occurs with overuse. When muscles have to do the same job over and over, the body’s response is to lay down scar tissue. Once this begins to happen, an ongoing cycle begins that leads to a worsening of the condition. This cycle gets harder to break the longer it continues, because of the changes that have occurred in the tissues.
Some common examples of CTD’s are: golfer’s elbow, rotator cuff syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, runner’s knee, shin splints, thoracic outlet syndrome, whiplash associated disorder, tension Headaches, frozen shoulder, repetitive stress injuries, migraine headaches, swimmer’s shoulder and tennis elbow.
North Vancouver’s ART provider
Active Release Therapy (ART®) is a new approach in treating injuries to muscles, tendons, nerves and surrounding soft tissues. North Vancouver Chiropractor Dr Ali Akhavan is one of the few chiropractors credentialed in ART in the Lower Mainland.
A doctor using ART can effectively reverse this CTD cycle by reducing the scar tissue, prescribing stretches to loosen the muscles and increase circulation, and decreasing the internal friction, pressure and tension in the muscles.
An ART treatment involves the doctor locating the adhesions that are causing the problem, applying tension with the thumbs over these areas in the direction of the fibres and then having the patient elongate the musculature while they continue to apply tension. By breaking up the adhesions and restoring proper blood flow to the tissues, the patients’ condition will steadily improve.
ART is non-invasive, very safe and has virtually no side effects. Treatments can feel uncomfortable during the movement phases as the scar tissue or adhesion breaks up, but most patients report a ‘good pain’.
From office workers to Olympic heroes
ART can help anyone from the athlete to the office worker. Many professional athletes have come to regard ART very highly. Big names like Olympic gold medalist Donovan Bailey and NHL player Gary Roberts have benefited from ART. Roberts, who was unable to return to hockey after two neck surgeries failed to correct his dizzy spells, credits ART with correcting the problem.
*As with all medical treatments, results vary from patient to patient.
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Introduction to Active Release Therapy
Active Release Therapy (A.R.T.®) is a new approach in treating injuries to muscles, tendons, nerves and surrounding soft tissues. ART is a highly successful treatment not only for athletes, but also for anyone who leads an active life, sits at a computer all day, or enjoys gardening. Many daily activities cause repetitive stress and the formation of scar tissue, which hinders the movement and function of soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves). This creates symptoms of pain, stiffness, decreased range of motion, numbness and weakness. ARTis safe, very effective and usually very quick to show results.
In today’s world, humans are constantly pushing their bodies to the limit. Whether working long hours, eating on the run, or just trying to keep up, conditions are far harder on our bodies than ever before. As our bodies try to keep up with this neck-breaking pace, our internal maintenance crew often can only do quick patch-up jobs on the damage we do to ourselves. When repairing muscles, tendons, ligaments or even nerves, the body’s quick fix solution is to lay down scar tissue for the patch-up. Scar tissue is the crudest grade of tissue that the body manufactures, and as you can see from old cuts on your skin, it takes a long time to be replaced by tissue that looks, feels or functions normally.
Scar tissue is a lot like glue, sticking things together. This is very good when you sprain your ankle, as this ‘glue’ holds the torn fibers together as they heal over a couple of months. This is not very good when the process goes overboard and starts gluing other parts of you together. Think of normal muscle as a collection of rubber bands. Injuries can tear just a few of the rubber bands (muscle fibers). In that case, your body will use a staple to put the rubber bands back together (scar tissue). Obviously, the part of the rubber band with the staple in it won’t be able to move normally. Scar tissue keeps muscle from moving normally. ART works to reduce the scar tissue build-up and restore normal muscle function.
When muscles are glued to other muscles, or a nerve is glued to a tendon, your body is no longer working optimally. Pain, numbness, stiffness and weakness are just some of the descriptions that people use for problems caused by scar tissue gone bad. These conditions are collectively called cumulative trauma disorders (CTD). ART is unique in it’s approach to healing, in that it directly addresses this scar tissue that hinders your body’s smooth functioning.
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WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF ART?
Dr. P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP
ART has been developed, refined, and patented by Dr. 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.
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WHAT IS A CUMULATIVE TRAUMA DISORDER (CTD)?
CTD is an injury that occurs with overuse. When muscles have to do the same job over and over, the area can become irritated and then inflamed. The body’s response to this inflammation is to lay down scar tissue, in an attempt to stabilize the area. Once this begins to happen, an ongoing cycle begins that leads to a worsening of the condition. This cycle gets harder to break the longer it continues, because of the changes that have occurred in the tissues.
A doctor using ART can effectively reverse this cycle by:
1) Removing the scar tissue
2) Prescribing specific stretches for the particular muscle(s) that are involved in your disorder. This combination helps to loosen the muscles and increase circulation.
3) Increase in blood flow improves oxygen supply and reduces swelling
4) Decreasing the internal friction, pressure, and tension in the muscles, which makes them looser, stronger and more flexible. When the muscles are looser, then the doctor can work deeper and get rid of the next layer of scar tissue. This continues until the cycle is completely reversed.
Chiropractic Care also loosens tissues and can facilitate the reversal of the Cumulative Injury Cycle©. Constant muscle tension causes joints to jam. Then the joint surfaces get “sticky” and the joints have what is called fixations or “subluxations.” The subluxation alone can cause irritation to nerves, increased muscle tension, decreased range of motion, and abnormal motion. By adjusting the joints in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands (along with other areas that may be subluxated like the neck, or upper back), the Doctor of Chiropractic releases these “stuck” joints or “subluxations” and the muscles relax. The nerves are relieved of the irritation and start to heal. Each adjustment works to make the joint surfaces normal and eventually they won’t be “sticky” or prone to subluxations. This process also increases the range of motion and returns normal motion, making the muscles more balanced. And balanced muscles work better.” ….
Some common examples of CTD’s are:
- - Golfer’s Elbow
- - Rotator Cuff Syndrome
- - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- - Runner’s Knee (Patellofemoral
- - Shin Splints Syndrome)
- - Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- - Chronic Low Back Pain
- - Back Pain/Injuries
- - Whiplash Associated Disorder
- - Calf Muscle Pain
- - Tension Headaches
- - Muscle Strains/Pulls
- - Frozen Shoulder
- - Foot Pain – Knee Pain
- - Mid and Low Back Pain
- - Leg Pain
- - Neck Pain
- – Migraine Headaches
- - Repetitive Stress Injuries
- - Plantar Fascitis
- - Sciatica – Running Injuries
- - Shin Splints
- - Tennis Elbow (Tendonitis)
- - Swimmers Shoulder
- – Shoulder Pain
- - Wrist Pain
- - Throwing Injuries
The incidence of CTD’s is increasing. Recently, the health care costs in the USA related to CTD’s surpassed low back pain as the largest health care expenditure. It was estimated that the cost of CTD’s in the USA now exceeds $110 billion yearly. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is one of these CTD’s that is rapidly increasing due to changes in the workplace. Dr. Vert Mooney, MD, the most highly published authority on Orthopedic Surgery agrees that, ” ART is a rational and effective treatment for repetitive motion disorders.” and that “No surgery can restore normal anatomy.”
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What occurs during an ART treatment?
Active Release Therapy involves the doctor locating adhesions that are causing the problem, applying tension with the thumbs over these lesions in the direction of the fibers, and then having the patient elongate the musculature while the doctor continues to apply tension to the lesion. By breaking up the adhesions and restoring proper blood flow to the tissues, the patients’ condition will steadily improve.
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What is an ART treatment like?
ART is non invasive, very safe, has virtually no side effects, and has a record of producing very good results. Treatments can feel uncomfortable during the movement phases as the scar tissue or adhesions “break up” but most patients report a “good pain”. This discomfort is temporary and subsides almost immediately after the treatment. It is common to feel a duplication of your pain symptoms during the treatment (a good indication that the problem has been identified). Treatments take about 15-20 minutes per area treated and may require 6 to 8 visits. The average patient is treated two times per week, but more complex cases may require 5-6 weeks of treatment.
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WILL MY CONDITION OR PROBLEM RETURN AFTER TREATMENT?
Usually, the changes are permanent, but ultimately the answer depends on the patient compliance with post care recommendations. “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you keep getting what you’re getting”. This is especially true for those suffering from repetitive strain injuries (RSI) or cumulative trauma disorders (CTD). Repetition of injury-causing behaviours or activities will cause the problem to recur. An important component of ART treatments is the recommendation for activity modification, stretching, and exercises. Each individual should commit to carrying out these suggestions to obtain the best results.
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CAN I BENEFIT FROM ART®?
Only a provider experienced and trained in ART® can determine if you might benefit from this treatment. Most of the cases seen in this office are patients who 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.
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WHO CAN PROVIDE ART®
This technique is mainly utilized by chiropractors because of the manual dexterity and anatomical knowledge required to apply the treatment. Practitioners of ART® must go through training in order to be accredited and able to practice this technique. There are many people who claim to practice the Active Release Technique. However the only people who are legally allowed to perform ART are those who have undergone rigorous testing with Dr. Mike Leahy. in order to become a credentialed ART provider. To remain qualified requires yearly re-accrediting with hands-on evaluation by Dr. Mike Leahy. Before going to anyone who claims to be an ART® provider, it’s recommended that you call Dr. Mike Leahy in Colorado Springs to make sure that they are currently a credentialed provider at 719-473-7000 or visit www.activerelease.com
Dr. Ali Akhavan is one of the few chiropractors credentialed in Active Release Therapy in the Lower Mainland. Active Release Therapy protocols, combined with adjustments, stretching and exercise allow Dr. Akhavan to have predictable success when treating people in pain.
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ART® AND MASSAGE?
The procedures used by Massage Therapists are very different, and produce different results from ART. There are many types of massage, but most massage techniques promote relaxation and circulation. In contrast the ART protocol is designed specifically for the correction of adhesions and scar tissues.
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WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM ART®?
ART® can help anyone from the athlete, the office worker, to the home keeper. Many professional athletes have come to regard ART® very highly for it almost miraculous treatment of serious injuries. Big names like Olympic gold medalist Donovan Bailey and NHL player Gary Roberts have benefited from ART®. Roberts, who was unable to return to hockey after two neck surgeries failed to correct his dizzy spells, credits Dr. Leahy and ART® with correcting the problem.
****As with all medical treatments, results vary from patient to patient*
