What Is Active Release Techniques® (ART) and Will It Work for You?

Aches and pains often trace back to the musculoskeletal system and, in particular, soft tissue, including muscles, fascia, ligaments, and tendons. These tissues work with the bones of your body to perform the movements that carry you through daily life, your work and your play.

Whether due to overuse or a sedentary lifestyle, your body builds up scar tissue called adhesions. These can limit your movement, affect your nerves, or reduce your blood flow. Active Release Techniques® (ART) represents a hands-on therapy system that addresses a wide range of soft tissue conditions that may be limiting your lifestyle.

Herald Square Chiropractic and Sport is your destination in Midtown, New York for joint pain relief. Ask about ART as a treatment to help with pain and mobility issues that may be keeping you from living your best life.

The problems below the surface

You probably blame your muscles for many of the aches and pains you experience. Work or play a little too hard? You might suspect sore muscles. Pain from sitting all day? Could be a muscle spasm. It’s a natural connection to make, given how essential muscles are to movement.

However, often overlooked is the role of fascia, thin layers of connective tissue that hold muscles, nerves, blood vessels, bones, and organs in place. These layers contain a liquid called hyaluronan between them, giving the fascia the ability to move easily with your body.

For various reasons, that liquid can dry up in places. Fascia thickens in those locations, causing areas of scar tissue called adhesions, though you may know them as knots. These knots can tighten muscles, irritate nerve tissue, and restrict blood flow. That keeps your body from repairing itself efficiently.

Common causes of adhesions are injuries, surgery, repetitive motions, or a sedentary lifestyle. Characteristics of fascia pain include flare-ups during movement, when applying pressure to the adhesion, and when you experience referred pain, which occurs somewhere else in the body, away from the adhesion.

ART and adhesions

When your aches and pains trace back to fascial adhesions, ART may be an excellent treatment or addition to any existing therapies. Our team locates the adhesions that are most likely causing your symptoms, then adapts a series of manipulations and movements to break up the scar tissue, restoring normal blood flow and releasing trapped nerves.

ART doesn’t correct the damage to your body but instead creates conditions under which your body can heal itself more efficiently. That is completely in line with the principles of chiropractic treatment, and ART is an excellent companion treatment for chiropractic adjustments.

Will ART work for you?

There’s a great chance that you’ll benefit from ART if you display these common signs of adhesions:

Joint stiffness in your back, elbows, hands, knees, or neck
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome
Tingling or numbness in various locations around your body
Pain when exercising
Symptoms of plantar fasciitis
Generally reduced flexibility and range of motion
Joint inflammation
Loss of strength

Consult with our experts at Herald Square Chiropractic and Sport to learn more about how ART may be able to help you. Make an appointment by booking online or calling the office at 646-859-6131. Relief for your pain may be close at hand. Schedule your visit now.