What is ART®?

ART® is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART®. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles.

How do overuse conditions occur?

Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:

• acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc)

• accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)

• not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)

Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes' tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.

What is an ART® treatment like?

Every ART® session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART® provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.

These treatment protocols - over 500 specific moves - are unique to ART®. They allow providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient. ART® is not a cookie-cutter approach.

Who can benefit from ART®?

ART® can help people from all walks of life. From professional athletes to weekend warriors to stay at home mothers to the everyday blue collar worker, it doesn't matter who you are or what you do, if your injury is of soft tissue nature, ART® will more than likely help.

How long will it take?

Each patient is different depending on their specific injury. On average, patients require between 4 to 10 visits to correct most soft tissue injuries. Each treatment is expected to last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. Additional factors that effect this overall treatment time include patient compliance, severity of condition, and overall health.

What is a "Full Body" ART® Provider?

There are three main ART® courses available to health professionals including Spine, Lower Extremity, and Upper Extremity. In order for a professional to become "Full Body Certified" they must complete each course including written and practical exams for each. In order to make sure your health care professional is fully certified refer to the ART® website at www.activerelease.com, where credentials are listed under each provider in your area.

What is the Long Nerve Entrapment Certification?

This entirely new course pays specific attention to treating the peripheral nerves of the body originating at the spinal cord and ending in the hands and feet. By moving every joint and body part that the nerve crosses the practitioner actually moves the nerve proximally and distally to the maximum extent possible. Nerves paid special attention include Radial (Tennis Elbow), Median (Carpal Tunnel), Ulnar (Golfers Elbow), Posterior Tibial, Common Peroneal, Sciatic (Sciatica), Saphenous, and Femoral. Multiple entrapment sites are paid particular attention for each nerve listed.

What is the history of Active Release Techniques®?

ART® has been developed, refined, and patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP. Dr. Leahy noticed that his patients' symptoms seemed to be related to changes in their soft tissue 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 all over the world to use ART®.