What is Active Release Technique and How Can it Help My Pain?

If you are like many people, you suffer from back pain at some point in your life. It can be incredibly debilitating and make even the simplest tasks difficult. You may have tried all sorts of treatments, but nothing seems to help. Have you ever heard of active release technique? This is a method that has been shown to be very effective for relieving pain. In this blog post, we will discuss what active release technique is and how it can help relieve your back pain!

The Risk of Overusing Muscles

Overused muscles and tissues can lead to a variety of conditions and symptoms, which can affect the way you move and function in your daily life. Most of the time, we can’t help but overuse certain muscles, due to the requirements of our stressful daily routines. Unfortunately this can cause injuries and/or an accumulation of micro-damage to the affected tissues. This promotes the formation of dense scar tissue, which can negatively affect the surrounding healthy tissue. As a result, muscles become weaker and shorter, tendons become irritated, and nerves may get pinched or trapped. This can lead to the development of a number of painful conditions, which include but are not limited to the following:

• chronic back, neck, shoulder, and leg pain
• muscle and ligament tears
• damaged or compressed nerves
• headaches
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• shin splints
• plantar fasciitis
• tennis or golf elbow
• sciatica

Signs of Muscle Overuse

The most common signs of muscle overuse include the following:

• Swelling, bruising, or redness due to the injury
• Pain at rest
• Pain when the specific muscle or the joint in relation to that muscle is used
• Weakness of the muscle or tendons
• Inability to use the muscle at all

What is Active Release Technique and How Can it Help My Pain?

Active release technique (ART) is a type of soft tissue mobilization that uses specific movements and pressure to reduce the tension in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This can help improve range of motion and reduce pain. The therapist will target areas of scarring or adhesions in the muscle or fascia with their hands and special tools. By manipulating the tissue, the therapist is able to break down scar tissue and allow for improved range of motion. This can lead to less pain and improved mobility.

The benefit of active release technique over other treatments such as massage is that it targets specific areas with more precision. The therapist will use their hands to feel for areas of adhesions or scar tissue in the muscle and then target those areas with the appropriate amount of pressure.

ART can be used to treat many different types of pain such as lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and even headaches. It is also a safe treatment that has no known side effects.

What it treats

ART is used to treat symptoms with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Its design is 3 fold to:

• Restore free and unimpeded motion of all soft tissues
• Release entrapped nerves, vasculature and lymphatics
• Re-establish optimal texture, resilience and function of soft tissues.

Does ART Increase Performance?

ART is effective for active people of every level. It can provide patients with a means to enhance their sports performance by identifying and releasing restrictions that reduce their performance in their chosen activity. This typically occurs after the practitioner conducts a biomechanical analysis of the patient’s motion. During the biomechanical analysis and the subsequent treatment, the practitioner:

• Evaluates gait, motion, and posture.
• Identifies the biomechanical dysfunctions that are restricting the performance.
• Locates the soft tissue structures that are the primary cause of the biomechanical dysfunction as well as affected structures throughout the kinetic chain.
• Treats the soft tissue dysfunctions with ART to restore full function to the affected structures.

ART Performance Care is applied after trauma based injuries have resolved. ART Performance Care concentrates upon removing restrictions that inhibit full range of motion, and in restoring full function and performance to affected soft tissues. This process can result in significant increases in sports performance of power, strength, and flexibility.

How Can it Help Back Pain?

Back pain is one of the most common ailments that can be treated with ART. The practitioner will use their hands to feel for areas of scar tissue or adhesions in the muscles and then target those areas with pressure or massage. By breaking down these tight areas, the patient will be able to gain relief from their back pain and improve their range of motion.

In addition to relieving pain, ART can also help in increasing strength and flexibility of the back. By identifying areas of weakness or tightness, the practitioner can help alleviate them and increase mobility. This can lead to less pain overall and improved performance in activities such as running or weightlifting.

Make an Appointment with Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center

If you are suffering from chronic pain or looking to improve your performance, ART may be the solution for you. Our experienced team can help to identify and treat the root causes of your issues with precision and care. Contact Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center today to make an appointment. We look forward to helping you live a healthier, more active life!