|
 |
Active Release
Technique®:
The BEST “Jock” Therapy!
by
Dr. Erin White |
Whether you are a
professional athlete, a weekend warrior or an
“athlete” somewhere in between, you undoubtedly have
suffered from some kind of “sports injury.” We have
all at some point in our “athletic careers” played
through pain because of a recurring injury that just
did not go away! Many have tried every treatment
under the sun, from medicine, creams, therapy, and
supplements with little or no success.
Many athletes have
learned about a relatively new form of therapy,
known as Active Release Technique® (ART®), a unique,
rigorous and interactive, hands-on therapy in which
a practitioner applies pressure to the injured area
while moving the surrounding muscles and joints
through a full range of motion,
In fact ART®, which is
relatively unknown to the general public, is relied
upon by many elite pro and amateur athletes to heal
their soft tissue injuries. The NFL, NBA, NHL and
MLB have contracted ART® practitioners to keep
players healthy and playing at their optimum level!
When trauma occurs,
whether from surgery, an accident, postural
distortion or repetitive strain, the body’s natural
response is the formation of scar tissue. Scarring
has a detrimental effect, causing tissues to adhere
to themselves as well as to other related
structures. Adhesions occur as a result of the
cumulative injury cycle and are responsible for the
vast number of sports aches and pains.
|
 |
The
practitioner (often a chiropractor,
massage therapist or physiotherapist)
will use his/her hands to search the
muscles for adhesions and/or dense,
tight scar tissue. |
 |
At first
glance, ART® might appear similar to a
standard massage. A key difference is
the direction of the hands-on pressure.
Other kinds of deep tissue massage move
in any direction. ART® lengthens the
tissue in the same direction as muscle
fibres naturally move. That’s what
stretches the adhesions and results in
accelerated healing. Being “active”
also sets ART® apart. The patient
participates in an ART® session by
moving their injured body part (i.e.
leg, arm) to help stretch and release
muscle tension. |
 |
The best part is ART® is not designed to be an
ongoing treatment or preventive tool. It is
designed to heal a specific injury quick. The
average recovery requires six to ten sessions and
many patients feel immediate change.
ART® is so different
that it has been granted a medical patent. In order
to become an ART® provider, each professional must
complete extensive hands-on instruction and
written/practical testing unparalleled by other soft
tissue programs. A certified ART® provider is
trained to palpate, diagnose and treat more than 300
muscular injuries and over 100 nerve entrapments.
ART® therapy is
successful not only for sports injuries, but also
for people injured in auto accidents or at work and
people who just work hard and hurt. Increasingly
more insurance companies and workers compensation (WSIB)
now encourage and reimburse for ART®.
If you have a soft
tissue injury that just occurred or isn’t healing
with your present therapy or medication, you owe it
to yourself to try ART®. Ask your health care
provider about ART® or better yet find a certified
ART® provider in your area. The easiest way to find
a certified ART® provider is to ask a friend,
colleague or fellow athlete who may know of one.
You could also call until you find a certified
provider or go online at
www.activerelease.com (however not all certified
providers are listed).
The best evidence that
ART® works is to read testimonials from the
www.activerelease.com website. Jamie Sale, Olympic Gold
medallist figure skater states “when we do some
ART®, I feel much looser-almost something like I
have a new body. It’s for people who are in
discomfort every day. I have sent my mother and
cousin for ART®!” Gary Robarts, forward for Florida
Panthers says “My injury left me with no chance of
ever playing hockey again. Now, after being treated
with ART® and a proper rehabilitation program, I
have completely regained my career in hockey!”
Dr. Erin A. White is
certified in ART® and has practiced in Sarnia,
Ontario since 1996.
|
