Active Release Techniques, or ART, is used to treat a wide variety of soft tissue and repetitive-motion injuries that havent responded well to other forms of sports therapy. For this reason ART is most commonly performed on professional and serious athletes who suffer from associated sport-related injury, sports-related trauma or overuse of a muscle. Many athletes who go to a sports medicine practitioner with complaints of numbness, tingling, burning or aching muscles will be recommended for ART. The therapy is also often performed on those whose job may put repetitive strain on the joints and muscles of the body.

When ART is performed the practitioner applies hands-on pressure in order to find the injured area. During the ART massage, the massage therapist will use their hands to examine the texture, tightness, and range of movement of a clients muscle tissue by feeling their filaments, tendons and ligaments for tears or breaks.

When abnormal muscle tissue is discovered the massage therapist will administer an intensive series of massage techniques in order to move the muscle through its full range of motion. This will relieve the surrounding tissues of any adhesions or scar tissue, which can form and block the injured muscle, and allow for the free flow of blood, lymph fluid and nerve conduction so the muscle will heal.

As mentioned above, ART is typically used to aid in the healing process of sports-related injuries. It has been noted many times for helping Olympians achieve medal success after suffering a sports-related injury. However ART has also been effective in its treatment of patients with chronic headaches, poor posture, back, shoulder and spinal pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, sciatica, tennis elbow, and knee and ankle injury.

If you suspect you might be the victim of a sports injury its best to visit your doctor first before seeking out ART on your own - ART is often recommended as part of a therapy program in conjunction with a series of rehabilitative exercises