Active Release Technique

ART treatment is a hands on touch and case management system that allows a pracitioner to diagnose and treat soft tissue injuries. Soft tissue refers primarily to muscles, tendon, fascia and nerves. Specific injuries that apply are repetitive strains, adhesions, tissue hypoxia and joint dysfunction.

After finding the lesion, it is treated by manipulation while drawing it under a specific contact. The most common method is to take the tissue from a shortened position to a fully lengthened position while the contact passes longitudinally along the soft tissue fibers and lesion.

There are four levels of myofascial release.Typically, ART uses level 4 sometimes level 3.

The levels are defined as:

• Level 3: tissue lengthened under contact, patient is passive.
• Level 4: tissue lengthened under contact, patient is active.

Whenever possible, the active methods are employed. Active motion causes neurological perception of movement and position which causes an impulse to pass through an internuncial neuron to the lateral spinal- thalamic tract that modifies and diminishes pain impulses, thus making the treatment more comfortable. (essentially a neuro-muscular re-education event)