Top 6 Benefits of Active Release Technique (ART)

What is Active Release Technique or ART?

Active Art Release is a soft tissue massage technique that addresses health problems related to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. This is a common practice in treating people with overused muscles that causes adhesions or scar tissue. When this happens, our muscles become weaker and shorter. Our muscle and joints mobility are also affected due to  nerve compression. As a result, the patient will suffer from decrease of blood supply, poor mobility and pain.

ART has proven to have a 90% success rate. This approach is said to have effectively treated people with the following conditions:

• Headaches
• Back Pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Shin Splints
• Shoulder Pain
• Sciatica
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Knee Problems
• Tennis Elbow

How is Active Release Technique Performed?

Doctor’s uses their hands to evaluate tightness and movement of the muscles, fascia, ligaments, tendons and nerves. Once the problem is identified, The ART technique is applied to correct the specific problem that is affecting the patient. By simply applying pressure, it breakdowns scar tissue, thus, allowing increase in blood flow.
Benefits of Active Release Technique

1.       Relief from back pain problems. Back pains are usually caused by nerves being trapped or compressed. By simply using the ART technique, nerve strains will start to break up and patients now feel relief from back pain.

2.       Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Art is able to address not only one affected area but to all soft tissues of the body.

3.       Knee problems. ART technique is an effective approach in minimizing knee problems which is often caused by psoas muscle.

4.       Shoulder Pain. Once you feel debilitating pain in your shoulder, a soft tissue tune-up might be a good idea. This can be done through ART therapy. With just a few months of continuous therapeutic massage, shoulder pain will be gone completely.

5.       Tennis Elbow Injury. This type of injury is commonly experienced by tennis players. ART is the most effective remedy to treat elbow injury, as it is said to primarily address ligaments, muscles, tendons and nerve issues.

6.       Shin Splints. Shin splints are commonly experience by runners, athletes and other individuals who are serious into keeping themselves healthy and fit. Having this type of injury is very painful. Normally, the lower leg is inflamed due to stress. Inflammation is the repercussion of running for too long or wearing the wrong kind of shoes. But with Active Release Technique, pain is healed restoring strength and vigor easily. 

10 Benefits of Massage Therapy You Didn’t Know

Over the years, massage has been a practice to relieve pain, stress or even heal injuries. Studies show that men and women who indulge themselves on a regular massage therapy have experience both physical and emotional benefits from it.




Benefits of Massage Therapy

10. Enhanced Rehabilitation After an Injury. If you are under rehabilitation due to an injury, submitting yourself to a massage therapy can encourage and accelerate recovery process. Through massage, it will encourage you some circulatory movement thus relaxing the muscles. It also helps boost oxygen and nutrients into your vital organs.

9. Enhance Post-Operative Surgical Rehabilitation. After surgery, post rehabilitation recovery is vital. Massage can help bring back the natural flow of blood and nutrients that were lost during the surgery, thus gradually repairing the soft tissue. Moreover, it helps lessen the development of scar tissue.

Massage increases blood circulation and relaxes muscles, thus, pumping in more oxygen and nutrients in your tissues and vital organs.

8. Strengthens Your Immune System. Massage therapy offers you more benefits than just alleviating pain and stress. It also strengthens your immune system. Stress combined with other unhealthy factors such as lack of sleep and poor diet may definitely deteriorate your body’s natural immune system. Low immune system can easily allow bacteria and infection to penetrate your body making you sickly and weak.

Study shows that regular massage does not only alleviate stress but boosts cytotoxic capacity of your immune system and lessens the number of T-cells thus improving immune functionality.

7. Relieves Tension Headaches and Migraines. Massage therapy relaxes your mind and body thus relieving stress. This is because massage relaxes your muscle spasms and trigger points such as your neck, shoulders, and head. Regular massage can also increase serotonin levels, which regulates a person’s mood, sleeping habits, and appetite.

6. Relaxes Muscles. There are so many causes of uptight muscles such as neck, back and muscle pain. Improper posture while sitting, excess weight, and strenuous movements can put strain to our bodies mostly resulting in tense muscles, spasms, upper back pain, hips and hamstrings. With regular massage, it reduces swelling and muscle stiffness which increases flexibility and eliminating pain.

5. Lowers Blood Pressure. High blood pressure is usually quoted as the “silent killer” because it shows no symptoms. And, it attacks anyone – male or female, young and old alike. Hence, it is suggested to start checking your blood pressure at an early age.
Massage therapy is one approach that is deemed effective to avert high blood pressure. Study shows that regular massage therapy decreases diastolic and systolic blood pressure, controls salivary and urinary hormone levels, as well as minimizes depression and anxiety.

4. Improves Posture. Bad posture as we all know encourages back pain. One example would be slouching. When you slouch, (if you are doing this means you are not aware of its bad effects) your internal organs are pressed down affecting digestion.

Poor posture can be improved through constant massage. It helps relax and loosen tight muscles and other pressure points of your body. Massage helps align your body to a healthier and more natural posture.

3. Stress Relief.  When you say massage, the first thing that comes to your mind is its ability to relieve stress and muscle tension. True, with one session alone, study shows that it can lower heart rate, insulin and cortisol levels. Without stress, you can have improved vitality and placid state of mind.

A stress free individual can live a healthier lifestyle and is happier than those who are extremely stressed out, whether from work, home or from strenuous day-to-day activities.

2. Relaxes the Body. A body that is stressed can produce a lot of unhealthy hormones that causes various body disorders such as headaches, high blood pressure, and leeplessness to name a few. But with constant massage, your body releases all those tensions that relaxes your body.

1. Promotes Good Breathing. A person experiencing stress and anxiety are said to have constricted breathing. Short, shallow breathing can cause a person to be jittery and uncomfortable. These are oftentimes the cause of tight and shortened muscles particularly around the chest, rib cage and the abdomen area.

One important benefit of massage therapy is improved breathing of a person targeting particularly respiratory issues such as asthma, sinus problems and the like. Good breathing increase energy level of a person, thus letting you enjoy healthier and happier lifestyle.