Active Release Technique

At Mizuta & Associates we offer Active Release Technique as a course of treatment. Active Release Technique is a hands-on touch and case-management system that allows a practitioner to diagnose and treat soft tissue injuries. Soft tissue refers to primarily the muscle, tendon, fascia, and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART.

Over-used muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:

• acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc) • accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma) • not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)

Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue 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 a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.

What to expect: The four areas of concern (tissue tension, texture, movement, and function) should all change during the course of treatment. Symptoms are often duplicated during treatment and are usually relieved during the first or second treatment. If the symptoms are duplicated and last until the next treatment, then the treatment must be modified. Strength, speed, and endurance are expected to improve within the first few visits. Whenever possible, active movements are employed for these primary reasons:

1. The patient feels control of the treatment process which lends comfort to the patient. 2. Active motion more closely simulates the requirements of the soft tissues in normal movements. 3. Active motion causes neurological perception of movement and position which causes an impulse to pass through the spinal tract that modifies pain impulses.