707-636-4404

“For many people, managing pain involves using prescription medicine in combination with complementary techniques like physical therapy, acupuncture, yoga and massage. I appreciate this because I truly believe medical care should address the person as a whole – their mind, body, and spirit.” –Naomi Judd

No statement that we’ve come across rings truer when it comes to managing pain. There are so many things you can do and treatments to be a part of but at the end of the day, our overall goal is to address each individual person as a whole. Everyone is different and our bodies all work in their own unique ways, but managing pain and muscle dysfunction with Active Release Technique is universal for many reasons.

What is Active Release Technique?

discover how you can manage pain and muscle dysfunction with active release techniqueBefore we address how managing pain and muscle dysfunction with Active Release Technique is valuable to us at Pain and Performance Solutions and more importantly you, let us explain what it is.  Dr. P. Michael Leahy started Active Release Technique® over 30 years ago. ART® began when Dr. Leahy was working with elite athletes to treat soft tissue disorders, so those athletes could return to optimal performance as fast as possible. ART is used to treat symptoms in your muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Through a combination of pressure and tension by the practitioner and movement (usually active) on the part of the client, these collagen fibers and scar tissue are broken up. This restores normal range of motion and blood flow while restoring pain free movement, endurance, and strength.

What is muscle dysfunction

In order to learn how managing pain and muscle dysfunction can help treat your ailments, we should explain what muscle dysfunction is and how it is developed. Skeletal muscle dysfunction is common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Muscle strength and endurance are decreased, whereas muscle fatigability is increased. Patients with COPD tend to reduce their level of physical activity because exertion causes unpleasant sensations. A vicious cycle can result, with reductions in physical activity producing more deconditioning, and more impairment in skeletal muscle function leading to more symptoms at lower levels of work.

What is your body saying?

While some injuries are caused by a traumatic injury, such as a fall or tear, a large majority of injuries result from an accumulation of small traumatic injuries.  These types of injuries can include repetitive motion, continued lifting of objects, or even poor body posture throughout the day.  The small injuries resulting from this type of activity are often referred to as repetitive strain or accumulative trauma injuries.  The affected tissues change and don’t work as effectively as healthy tissues.  These changes often result in decreased oxygen getting to a muscle or tendon, which changes the tissue structure and how the muscle works.  This leads to the eventual formation of scar tissue in and around the muscle that will then bind to surrounding structures such as fascia and nerves.  This binding of structures can cause muscles to become shorter, range of motion to decrease, and pain can occur with everyday movement and activity.  This will eventually lead to decreased use and increased pain of the affected area

Managing pain and muscle dysfunction with Active Release Technique (ART)

Active Release Technique’s goal is to address your body and its structural mechanics and to help get it back to a normal range of motion while allowing the blood to flow freely. Muscle dysfunction is a disorder that will limit the amount of movements your body can do. When you try and overdo your workouts or your recovery, your body responds to that and starts working improperly. Managing pain and muscle dysfunction through Active Release Technique is the bridge.

Now the question becomes how is managing pain and muscle dysfunction with Active Release Technique helpful to you?  ART® works when there is a release of tension in the desired areas. We will apply some force and tension, all while knowing what your pain threshold is. Then we’ll have our patient make specific movements so that tension can be released. Adhesions will be loosened and broken up when the muscles begin to move through the tension that is being administered freely. When this is achieved, the results will be a lesser pain in those affected areas and a much greater range of motion.

Going forward with ART and Pain and Performance Solutions

Managing pain and muscle dysfunction with Active Release Technique is highly beneficial for our patients because it addresses the body’s inability to move freely properly. With tension and pressure, and no timetable, ART will get your body back to its natural healthy state. We’d love to set up a consultation and start getting to know you and your body.