Active Release Technique - Maverick Collective Holistic Medicine

Dr. Kelsey treating a patient using Active Release Technique.

What is Active Release Techniques®?

Active Release Techniques® (ART®) is a soft-tissue diagnostic and therapy system that has been used for 30+ years to effectively treat conditions such as Achilles tendinosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tennis elbow. Soft tissues in the body include muscles, tendons, ligaments, and importantly fascia which touches every cell and provides structural framework for the body. This system was developed by Dr. P. Michael Leahy, a chiropractor who is a former collegiate athlete and graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he trained as a fighter pilot and engineer. Dr. Leahy’s knowledge of physics led to the development of the principles of ART® which includes the understanding that repetitive physical insults to the soft tissues over time lead to bigger injury and are dependent on relationships between four factors of an activity.

These factors are the number of repetitions of a movement, the force generated or experienced by the soft tissues, the type of movement (large like swinging a racquet, or small like typing on a keyboard), and the time between repetitions when muscles are not active. Using typing as an example, though the force is low and the movement is small, typing causes injury to the muscles in the forearms because of the high repetitions and little time between keystrokes. When muscles are constantly contracting this reduces blood flow to them through compression of blood vessels: less oxygen and nutrient delivery paired with reduced removal of metabolic wastes causes a local inflammatory response and deposition of scar tissue in these muscles. Scar tissue shortens over time further reducing blood flow and continuing the repetitive stress injury cycle which leads to tightness, weakness, numbness, and swelling.

The ART® system examines the movement that causes symptoms and identifies the tone, texture, and tension of the involved muscles, targeting the tightest muscles first and rechecking the movement to determine success of the intervention. This system requires precision in anatomy, biomechanics, and palpation, and clinically delivers meaningful improvements in symptoms and function often within a few sessions.

ART® therapy

ART® promotes healing in both repetitive stress and acute injuries by breaking up scar tissue in muscles, muscle groups, and around joints and nerves. Precision in evaluation and diagnosis is crucial for applying targeted treatment to accelerate recovery. During ART® therapy, the practitioner uses their hands to apply pressure while lengthening the muscle which also frees up surrounding structures like nerves and ligaments. ART® restores soft tissue integrity, enhances circulation, and provides neuromuscular reeducation, improving the connection between muscles and nerves for better movement, balance, and coordination

This diagnostic and treatment system is particularly beneficial in cases where there have already been imaging studies done such as ultrasound and MRI and there appears to be no explanation for the pain and impaired function. Scar tissue and shortening of muscles and ligaments is not visualized by conventional imaging, so if you have pain, numbness, or tingling, and the imaging studies come back as normal, in the vast majority of cases all this means is that the lens the picture was taken with just doesn’t have the capability of identifying the problem and offering a diagnosis. It is often these cases where ART® shines.

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What are tendons?

Tendons are the structures that connect the muscle to bone. They are composed of mostly bundles of collagen, with blood vessels, nerves, and fascia. You can think of the structure of a tendon like a rope where smaller subunits are wound together to form a bigger structure. Tendons are stiffer than muscles, absorb a lot of energy with minimal stretch, and act as a spring to release that energy and help us to move!

What are muscles?

Muscles are the structures that contract when stimulated by a nerve. They are composed of mostly of cells, with blood vessels, nerves, lymphatic vessels, and fascia. Similar to tendons, smaller muscle cell bundles are grouped together to form the bigger muscle groups.

What are ligaments?

Ligaments are the structures that connect adjacent bones. They are composed of primarily collagen, also with blood vessels, nerves, and fascia. They are less structured and less stiff than tendons and provide structural stability of a joint at its end range. They also provide the brain with information about joint position, direction of movement, and velocity of movement through nerve endings in the ligament!

What is fascia?

Fascia is composed of primarily fibers and a gel-like substance: the fibers are collagen and elastin, and the gel-like substance is hyaluronic acid and water. The fibrous part of fascia has the texture and appearance of cobwebs, and it contacts not only all muscle cells and neurons, but it provides the basic framework for the structure of the whole body, even connecting muscle groups in distant parts of the body! Fascia provides structure, shock absorption, and facilitates delivery of nutrients and removal of waste from cells.

Is it painful?

The areas that need the most work are certainly going to be tender, but the depth of pressure can be modified to comfort. Most people describe it as a good kind of pain, where the sensation of improving blood flow and reducing tension is felt even with the tenderness of the tissues. Using your breath, especially a long exhale will help the tissues relax and reduces sensitivity.

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Maverick Collective Holistic Medicine

Active Release Techniques®

Luke, I am your fascia

What is Active Release Techniques®?

Our ART® Services

Carpal tunnel

Patellofemoral pain syndrome

Tension headaches

Golfer’s elbow

Sciatica

Infrapatellar tendinopathy

Tennis elbow

Concussion

Shoulder impingement

Frozen shoulder

Dequervain's tenosynovitis

Bicep tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis

Plantar fasciitis

Peripheral nerve entrapments

Our Benefits

ART® therapy

Christine S.

Active Release Techniques®

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Maverick Collective Holistic Medicine