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Dr. Aldrich is certified in Active Release Technique of the Spine, Upper Extremities, and Lower
Extremities. He has treated many conditions and injuries that involve all joints and muscles of the
body.
What is
ART?
ART is a patented, state of the art soft
tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons,
ligaments, 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. These conditions all have one
important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles.
How do overuse conditions
occur?
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 is an ART treatment
like?
Every ART session is actually a combination
of examination and treatment. The ART provider uses his hands to evaluate the texture, tightness
and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by
combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.
These treatment protocols - over 500 specific moves - are unique to
ART. They allow providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each
individual patient. ART is not a cookie-cutter approach.
What is the history of Active Release
Techniques?
ART has been developed, refined, and
patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP. Dr. Leahy noticed that his patients' symptoms seemed to be
related to changes in their soft tissue that could be felt by hand. By observing how muscles,
fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves responded to different types of work, Dr. Leahy was able to
consistently resolve over 90% of his patients' problems. He now teaches and certifies health care
providers all over the world to use ART.
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