Feeling stiff and sore for no apparent reason? You could be dealing with scar tissue in the fascia that surrounds your muscles from a previous injury or muscle overuse.
An area of scar tissue that’s built up in muscle fascia is called an adhesion. Adhesions can be responsible for many different types of pain, and some of the more common types of pain they can trigger include neck pain, shoulder pain and knee pain. One physical therapy method near you that can help address adhesions is Active Release Techniques®.
What is Active Release Techniques?
Finding a physical therapist near you who offers Active Release Techniques (ART) is a great step to take if you think you have adhesions in a certain area of your body. This PT method is designed specifically to address adhesions. It involves physical therapists using their hands to mobilize the soft tissue in the affected area. For this reason, the technique falls into a category of PT called soft tissue mobilization.
Three reasons you should look for Active Release Techniques near you
- It can help reduce pain — Adhesions can cause multiple symptoms, but one of the most common is pain. Often, this pain feels like the soreness you develop after a good workout. However, adhesion-related pain tends to stick around for much longer. Fortunately, one medical study reports that ART can help reduce pain. The study found that ART reduced visual analogue scores (VAS) for neck pain by nearly 50% after three weeks.
- It can increase mobility — ART is also commonly used to address a lack of flexibility or mobility caused by adhesions. The reason? The technique can help break up adhesions and realign soft tissue fibers. The affected soft tissue can then move more freely as a result.
- The technique is customizable — There is a significant level of customization that can be achieved by using ART. For instance, physical therapists can perform more than 500 specific movements after being trained in ART. This allows your physical therapist to pick the most effective movements for your condition. Also, they can vary the levels of tension and pressure they place on the affected area.
SOL PT offers Active Release Techniques near you
Do you live near Oakland, California? Are you looking for someone who offers Active Release Techniques near you? Then SOL Physical Therapy is just what you’ve been searching for. Our team can treat many of the most common forms of musculoskeletal pain, such as back pain. In addition, we excel at creating personalized physical therapy plans that may include ART and many other PT methods.
Contact our team today for more information about all the services we offer or to schedule an initial appointment with us.
