Hi All!!
Has anyone ever done ART therapy? ART stands for active release treatment. I am going to try it for my injuries.

Every week for the past 10 or so years!!! My athletic therapist is fabulous. He is certified in active release by the guy in Colorado that 'invented' it.

I've seen physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, orthopedic surgeons, and sport medicine specialists...........it was my athletic therapist using ART that relieved my back and neck problems. After my first treatment from him - I literally ran down the hall of the rink -- something I hadn't been able to do for years.

I send everyone to see my athletic therapist - even my chiro does ART. No matter what the injury - back, knee, ankle, neck, groin, etc. -- they can help.

But - I also have an excellent physiotherapist for those injuries that need more eqiupment and rehab programs.

What is active release treatment?

Yes, I've been getting ART since christmas. My chriopractor got sick and tired of looking at my very severly swollen achilles tendons and so made me go. It was rather painful at the start as I had a lot of scartissue built up in my muscles due to overuse, but it's been brilliant, I definitelly recommend it!

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PT for my neck/back (herniated disks, pinched nerves) consists at least partially of ART, and like others who replied, I recommend it.

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--renatele

I've never heard of it, but here's what I turned up through a Google search: http://www.activereleasetechnique.com/art.html. Couldn't find an article in Wikipedia.

Is it similar to "strain-counterstrain" or myofascial release? or to acupressure? I can't tell from the web site I found--they say what it isn't but I can't tell specifically what it is....

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I can't say exactly what it is either. But... I've heard it can do wonders. I too have been to osteopaths (for 10 years), physical therapy (for a year), orthopedic surg. blah, blah. So, I'm willing to try.

I did have a Feldenkrais practitioner work with me for a while. But, I moved and am too far away from her now. That was great too.

It is nice to hear the positve responses about ART!!

I have had 4 ART sessions on a knee problem that I had (couldn't even slide off my shoe with my opposite foot because it hurt so much) and I went for the last one on Monday and my physio said it is now completely fixed and I don't have to go back at all unless it starts playing up again!

That's awesome LibraJen. I can't wait for my appointment on Friday. The pain in my shoulder gets so bad sometimes.. I want to throw up. Sorry for the grossness.

Ouch! I hope it goes well for you.

Well, I had my first ART session today. My shoulder all ready feels much better!! Not 100% but way better than when I went in. I go back next week and he will work on my lower back too.

How's the therapy going?

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--renatele

It is going awesome!!! It's like magic. My shoulder is soooo much better and my back is much better too!!

By the way, My name 'herniated' doesn't really apply anymore. My last MRI (that I had the anxiety attack in) showed that the herniated disc must have 'reabsorbed'. Noooowww... I have several degenerating discs. Nice. But my ART guy says he would rather see degenerating discs over herniated because we all tend to get this as we age. I'm still keeping my name though!!

So, still nobody's described what ART therapy is like!? Describe an appointment--is is like PT? Chiropractic? Massage therapy? A little hint, that's all we're asking for!

Ok.. It's kind of like PT. Never had massage therapy. It does hurt but not in a bad way. It kind of hurts so good if that makes sense.

For my shoulder.. the Dr. (my guy's a doctor) touches/ presses where he feels adhesions/scar tissues and instructs me on how to move my arm while he kind of rubs it. For my lower back.. same thing he finds where the issues are and instructs me how to move my legs while he releases the adhesions/scar tissue. Does that help? It's also very quick. About 15 min.

Yep, I'd say in my case (herniated disks in neck and back with pinched nerves), it was almost like stretching - therapist would identify tight/spasmy areas, press down and hold on muscle attachment points and, when working on the neck, guide my head to different positions. When working on the back, again she'd press on specific points, and have me twist and bend forward or sideways very specific ways.

Like herniated said: it hurts in a good way again, similar to stretching. Although my neck was sometimes more painful when the muscle would rebel and start spasming right as therapist was working on it. Ouch. I think I let out a quiet scream several times, but that was in the beginning of therapy cycle (I had over 20 visits total).

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--renatele