Active Release Technique (ART)

ART® is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves due to overuse. Overuse of muscles can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue. 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. Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:

  • Acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, trauma injuries)
  • 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 a combination of examination and treatment. The ART® provider at Chicago Chiropractic & Sports Medicine 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 ART® certified providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient. The treatment may be different with each visit depending on what the providers discovers during examination.