As many athletes are in the midst of another hockey season, it is important to pay special attention to your body during this time. One technique that can be used to help current issues and prevent injury is Active Release Technique (ART).
What is Active Release Technique (ART)?
ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. Carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly with ART. These conditions all have one thing in common: they are often a result of overuse.
How do overuse injuries occur?
Overused soft tissue can change in three ways:
1. Acute conditions (sprains, strains, etc)
2. Accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
3. Not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)
Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough adhesions at the affected area. This 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 the nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.
Achieve Success with ART
ART uses a strong sense of touch awareness to find specific tissues that are restricted. This can take a considerable amount of time and experience to develop. Our ART practitioners at Depth Physiotherapy & Sports Rehab are trained to:
1. Locate the root cause of the problem
2. Locate and remove the specific adhesions or restrictions that have formed
3. Work through the entire kinetic chain
4. Consider the body to be one complete, dynamic, functional unit.
Follow-up Exercise is Critical
Exercise is an essential component of any treatment regime. Abnormal motion patterns that developed as a compensation mechanism tend to remain even after the initial removal of restrictions. Exercise is essential if you plan to retrain these muscles to develop normal movement patterns, and for complete tissue remodelling after injury.
If you have any questions or would like to see how ART can help you, feel free to contact one of our ART practitioners and be pro-active about your health.
Written by: Mike Laidley, Physiotherapist, Director of Sports Rehabilitation
