What is Active Release Technique?

 

ART® - The Gold Standard for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Soft Tissue Injuries

ART® is unique because of the strong sense of touch the practitioner develops when learning the 500+ treatment protocols. These treatment protocols combine the use of pressure, tension, and motion to force the layers of muscle and tissue to work together properly. ART® is successful when other traditional methods fail because ART® practitioners locate the root cause of the problem. An experienced practitioner can successfully resolve many soft tissue conditions within 6-10 treatments. Advanced practitioners are trained in biomechanical analysis and understand exactly how injuries affect the biomechanics of the patient. ART® practitioners consider the body to be one complete, dynamic, functional unit; they do not restrict their attention and treatment to just the area of complaint.

How Does An ART® Treatment Feel?

ART® is not a magic bullet or cure-all. It is non-invasive, very safe, has virtually no side effects, and has a record of producing excellent results. Treatments can feel uncomfortable as scar tissue or adhesion break up. Patients report this as “hurts so good.” This discomfort is temporary and subsides almost immediately after treatment. It is common to feel a duplication of symptoms during the treatment. This is a good indication that the problem has been identified. Treatments take 15-20 minutes and may require 12-15 visits for optimal results.

What Conditions Can ART® Help?

We use ART® to treat a broad range of soft tissue cumulative injuries, including:

These cumulative soft-tissue injuries are injuries to the muscles, tendons, bones, blood vessels, fascia and/or nerves. It is helpful to understand that cumulative injury results from acute injury, repetitive injury, or constant pressure/tension injury, all of which lead to what we term as the cumulative-injury cycle. It is the existence of the cumulative injury cycle that separates these from other injuries of the neuromusculo-skeletal system. Left uncorrected, they can lead to inflammation, adhesion/fibrosis, weak and tense tissues, and decreased circulation, all in a progression called the cumulative injury cycle.

ART® CORPORATE SOLUTIONS

ART® Corporate Solutions, Inc. offers a complete soft-tissue management system for companies striving to reduce workers’ compensation costs and recordable injury rates in the area of repetitive strain and strain/sprain injuries (MSDs). ART® Corporate Solutions utilizes the highest level Active Release Techniques® providers throughout North America to work with private corporations, insurance carriers, and professional sport teams to help the employee achieve a pain-free (or greatly improved) level of performance as quickly as possible at a significantly reduced cost. ART® is recognized by OSHA and the Department of Labor as a wellness, prevention, or first-aid measure. Dr. Tarkanyi is the provider for the Pepsi Bottling Group of Howell and Detroit, Michigan.

ART Ironman® Triathlete Performance Care

Difficult training regimes, repetitive motion (swimming, running, cycling), and overworked muscles all place a great deal of stress on a triathlete’s body. These subtle or gross changes in the body can have a tremendous impact on the time and effort required to perform an activity.

Repetitive motion, constant tension, and pressure often result in inflammation and swelling of soft tissue. The body responds to this inflammation by laying down scar tissue (cross fibers across the tissue) in an attempt to stabilize the affected area. This scar tissue

• Restricts motion,
• Reduces circulation,
• Inhibits nerve function,
• Causes ongoing friction and pressure,
• Results in the production of yet more cross fibers and adhesions across inflamed soft tissues.

Although physical training factors can be modified, the biomechanical restrictions that have been created in the triathelete’s body are seldom addressed. These restrictions lead to future injuries and inhibit the triathlete from reaching his or her full performance potential.  Equally important, different athletes may present with identical pain patterns, but each athlete may have completely different structures that are impaired or injured. 

A trained ART® practitioner performs a biomechanical analysis of the athlete to determine where the restrictions are located along the entire kinetic chain. ART® treatments are specific and based upon the individual needs of each athlete.  ART® finds the specific tissues that are restricted and physically works them back to their normal texture, tension, and length by using various hand positions and soft tissue manipulation methods. Once the soft tissue (ligaments, muscles, blood vessels, fascia, and nerves) has returned to its normal state, specific exercises are prescribed.

Unlike most therapies, ART® does not require extended periods of rest before results are noticeable; significant improvement to the injured area can be felt after only two to three sessions. It is also not uncommon to see a considerable improvement in the athlete’s performance after only a few sessions.  At Chiropractic Performance Solutions, we use Active Release Technique® Performance Care to provide patients with a means to enhance their triathlon performance by identifying and releasing restrictions that cause injuries and reduce performance.

 

 

How Can ART® Performance Care Improve My Golf Swing?

At Chiropractic Performance Solutions, we use Active Release Technique® Performance Care to provide our patients with a means to enhance their golf swing by identifying and releasing restrictions that cause injuries and reduce performance.

Your golf swing is all about proper body mechanics. Dr. Tarkanyi is not a golf pro, but he is a biomechanics certified ART® professional. A good golf swing requires full rotational capacity of nearly every joint involved and must be done efficiently, easily, explosively, and repeatedly. Dr. Tarkanyi works with your golf pro during your lessons to help identify faulty body mechanics that affect your golf swing. Many swing faults are directly attributable to poor joint mobility, resulting from soft-tissue restrictions.

Many things occur during an analysis of a golf swing. First, Dr. Tarkanyi focuses on which structures are affected along the golfer’s kinetic chain, and not just the chief area of restriction. Next, he assesses the antagonistic structures (opposing muscle groups) to those that have been identified as the primary structures causing the faulty mechanics. Because function and performance are based upon balance and coordination, an opposing soft-tissue structure is always affected by restrictions in the primary structure. Dr. Tarkanyi treats each soft-tissue dysfunction with the appropriate technique to restore full function to the affected structures. The result is almost always an improvement in golf performance. Using this process, Dr. Tarkanyi helps golfers achieve their goals and prevent injuries from occurring.

COMMON FAULTS FOUND DURING OUR GOLF SWING ANALYSIS

1. Limited hip motion during all phases of swing
2. Lower extremity motion from foot to hip
3. Limited torso rotation or slow rotation during backswing
4. Limited torso flexion during backswing
5. Limited shoulder motion during phases of swing
6. Limited neck rotation during backswing

HOW CAN ART® HELP GOLF-RELATED INJURIES?

In order to effectively balance your muscles and remove joint restrictions, we must first identify your unique pattern of muscle imbalances. Muscles become shortened as the result of injury, trauma, or repetitive strains that cause micro tears. The scar tissue that forms at the injury site is less elastic and more fibrotic than normal tissue, and causes muscles to gradually lose their stretch component. Short, tight muscles are weaker, more prone to injury, and play havoc with golf swing mechanics. Usually more than one muscle is involved. The body lays down fibrous adhesions between these muscle layers, which restrict the muscle’s ability to slide freely past one another, disrupt joint mechanics, and cause the muscles to feel tight. Shortened muscles and tightened joints combine to impair coordination, reduce power, and result in further injuries. Dr. Tarkanyi utilizes a series of muscle balance and swing analysis tests to identify the exact type, extent and location of muscle restriction. Once the restrictions have been identified, he uses ART® treatments and follow-up stretches to remove and resolve these restrictions and strengthen the muscles to prevent re-injury.

SHOULDER INJURIES

When shoulder rotation is restricted, the body compensates with excessive spinal rotation. This can result in back injuries, because most people already lack flexibility in the spine. In addition, golfers will notice that they have difficulty keeping their eyes on the ball and maintaining optimal swing plane. This results in fat or thin shots. When the golfer attempts to compensate at the shoulder joint, the chances of a hook or slice increase.

HIP JOINT INJURIES

Tightness in the hip joint rotational muscles places strain on the rotational requirements of the shoulder or spine. Often a golfer will compensate by lifting up during the back swing and then chop down on the ball, resulting in a fat shot.

WRIST AND ELBOW INJURIES

Wrist and elbow injuries often occur when the body does not have the capacity to effectively compensate at either the shoulder or spine. The wrists are then overused to drive as well as decelerate the golf club.

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