Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/87297
RESTORING SMOOTH MOVEMENT Shoulder injuries can be hard to manage for even the most seasoned massage therapists. But what do you do when your client is an athlete who uses his shoulders on a constant basis? Not only does this client come in seeking pain relief, he also needs to use his shoulders to do his job. Soft-tissue therapies might provide the answer you're looking for with this client, and Active Release Technique (ART) might offer the relief your client seeks. ART, an efficient form of manual soft-tissue therapy that is particularly helpful for repetitive motion injuries, was created by P. Michael Leahy, DC, a chiropractor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, whose background is in anatomy and aeronautical engineering. He began teaching ART in 1991 under the name myofascial release. He trademarked the name ART in 1995 in order to standardize treatment for his chiropractic patients, and because ART extends beyond treating muscle and fascia. The goal of ART is to restore the smooth movement of tissues and release entrapped nerves and blood vessels. ART is useful for diagnosing and resolving fascial, myofascial, and neuromyofascial restriction. It works with contact and active client motion to reduce adhesion and soft-tissue restrictions. If you come across an athlete whose soft-tissue complaint has not resolved after two or three general massage treatments, you may want to refer the client out for a diagnostic workout and ART as an adjunct treatment, says Dale Buchberger, DC, a physical therapist and chiropractor who uses ART in his practice and treats many athletes, including tennis players and professional baseball pitchers. "The main goal is to reestablish motion between fascial planes, thus reducing fibrous adhesions and reestablishing neural and myofascial glide between tissues," Buchberger says. Every ART session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART provider uses hand pressure 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 client movements. ART is most commonly used to treat conditions related to adhesions or scar tissue in overused muscles. As adhesions build up, muscles become shorter and weaker, the motion of muscles and joints is altered, and nerves can be compressed. As a result, tissues suffer from decreased blood supply, pain, and poor mobility. For massage therapists who see many athletes whose sports involve overhead movement, such as baseball players, tennis players, and swimmers, Buchberger recommends ART certification. "It's a good marketing tool … and massage therapists can blend it into their practice," he says, adding that the work has made inroads in both athletic and professional sports communities. Buchberger uses ART on athletes with shoulder strains, impingement syndromes, and even tendinitis. Athletes like it because it is focused and aggressive, and it primarily treats acute, chronic, overuse conditions (such as pulls and tears), as well as microtrauma, which are rampant in sports. Athletes often have dense scar tissue that can lead to shortened and weakened muscles, tendinitis, and even trapped nerves. This leads to diminished range of motion, pain, and strength loss, all of which ART can readily address. 96 massage & bodywork november/december 2012