It has been 48 hours since my first ART (active release technique) session to address a problem with my left AC joint. After 4 months of discomfort, inability to fully train, money spent on osteopathic care, and general frustration, I can report that my injury feels dramatically improved. In fact, 10-12 hours after the session the difference was quite incredible.
I don’t want to speak too soon but I am really positive about my chances of a full recovery. The therapist believes a maximum of 2-3 sessions will be sufficient to address the problem. I’m actually hopeful now of full upper body training in 2-3 weeks.
I will state that I was/am pessimisstic about the merits of ART. Conventional medicine suggested the problem would only be fixed by surgery (my worst nightmare). But at this moment in time I have to say ART appears to be everything it’s cracked up to be. I am still in a state of mild shock that a 15-20 treatment could have such a dramatic and instant effect. I just hope now the recovery continues the way it’s started.
Glad to hear your success! Active Release is an amazing thing many athletes should do. I wish I had done it sooner.
My best advice to anyone who is tight or has an injury: go to the best active release therapist you can find. It’s amazing what they can do for you in only a few sessions.
On the painful issue: Well first of course there will be a great deal of variation between people and it will depend on the situation as well.
But, it should not be a matter of concern. The interpretation of pain when it’s known that no injury is occurring and in fact something good is happening should be different.
When I brought my ex-fiancee to my ART therapist for a session (she now is getting something that works well from a pain management specialist, and so it wasn’t an ongoing thing) she wanted to see me treated first, and in that instance I had to appear as if it really didn’t hurt, as she has little tolerance for pain, and her own treatment had to be limited for that reason, whereas mine does not.
But ordinarily from effects on breathing, facial contortions, and so forth a person might think it was pretty awful. It’s quite substantial pain in my case, but not bothersome psychologically at all. Doesn’t bother me in the least.
So I wouldn’t worry about that aspect.
Also, at least within the same individual, the more it hurts at a given spot, the more that spot needed help and the more help it is getting. So in this sense, it’s Oh yeah, great!!!
All I can say about ART is that I wish I had done it when I was first injured and not waited so long.
My guy has fixed both rotators and my SI joint in the past 8 months. Last summer I couldn’t raise my left arm over my head, now Im back to oly lifting and have full mobility restored. The SI issue was more osteopathic, but he got it fixed in 2 sessions. I think anyone who lifts seriously should have a good ART/ostopath guy on their speed dial.
007 I’m having ART done on my left hip and shoulder tomorrow. My chiro does ART, and I’ve been going for about 7 weeks now. HUGE IMPROVEMENTS all around.
Nice BBB it’s good to hear that. I’m actualy booking an ART session Wednesday…my shoulder is still buggin me a bit, but my upperback/neck is so tight it is causing me pain in my shoulder, as well my posterior capsule is very tight.
This guy isn’t big at all but he knows how to use his bodyweight, clamp the other hand, and get the pressure where it needs to be.
On the other hand I went to this “ART” guy once and he was absolutely brutal, I told him he doesn’t need to atke it easy…he applied the pressure of a girl, it was ridiculous.
The new ART guy I went to actually fixed me up well and said “Oh I know that guy, he should stick to the old ladies”
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
I perform ART on most of my patients. It is very effective - no question.
One of my patients (a BBer who has a chance to go pro) hadn’t been able to train triceps in 3 months. After just ONE treament he was training them again (against my advice, lol, but I was secretly pleased that he had disobeyed me, since it worked out so well).
Another BB patient (280lbs, 10% bf) had me ART his teres minor muscles. He “Nearly passed out from the pain”, but his shoulders are now trainable again after months of pain.
My less muscled patients get less pressure application and consequently have less pain to deal with, since they don’t have the sheer muscle bulk to penetrate to reach the affected tissue.
I ART the scalenes in my mother every time I see her, and she loves it. Which just goes to show that ART is painful or not, entirely to the wishes/tolerance of the patient. it doesn’t have to be painful. BUT, for maximum effect in big muscles, the kind of pressure that elicits the best results, generates painful nerve impulses.
Finally, some therapists may not have the strength to apply enough force to effect maximum healing. I have very large, strong hands and I often have to use ALL my strength, with gravity assistance, AND my other hand as a ‘backup clamp’ on my treatment hand, when working on big guys. Both of us will be grunting and sweating with effort and pain, but hey, at least I feel as though I’m really earning my fee!
BBB[/quote]
when are you coming to America? I hear Michigan is good this time of year. We only have 2 ART practitioners in this area and I have been to both. The 2nd guy is good but I don’t feel like my shoulder is any better than it was before, even after 4 or 5 sessions. I have full ROM but it hurts to do certain things like pressing movements. Rotator cuff tear perhaps? I don’t know what else to do.
I don’t think it’s rotator cuff tear, but perhaps just impingement. I’m not 100% sure, I mean I have the same problem…I know mines simply from boxing, and too much pressing movements. I’ve dropped all pressing, and unfortaunely have to take time off boxing. Face pulls have helped me a lot, and I’ve been rowing now 3x a week to balance things out because I ahve rounded shoulders, protracted. Lots of chest stretches, rear raises as well. That’s all the help I can give, I’ve made similar threads on the subject and many people have helped. Hope it gets better, this is my first shoulder injury ever and man it sucks lol.
[quote]bond james bond wrote:
Good to hear it helped. How painfull was it? How long did the session last?. [/quote]
For me not that painful, but as Bill has stated there is probably a correlation between muscle mass and pain. I’m not a big guy so perhaps that’s why I found it very tolerable. Apart from one movement which involved me tilting my head to the right while pressure was applied to my left trap area. That was bloody painful.
The session lasted 30mins, although she explained often 15mins is sufficient.
The other comments posted so far regarding chiropractors/osteopaths are all valid. I think seeing both, or a specialist who offers both, is the ideal scenario. I know my pelvic tilt has returned again and I would love to see my osteopath back in Scotland for that, and the ART therapist in London! Maybe I’m just being greedy for female therapists!
As an aside, the gym the ART therapist works from is run by a chap who is a bit of a Poliquin disciple (he actually travelled over there to have ART treatment from Poliquin on his own shoulder). The therapist said Poliquin is now developing his own version of ART.
I did something to my right elbow a month ago doing wide grip pull-ups. Not sure if ART will fix it. I guess I can atleast give the local practitioner a call and see what they say. I can still do most movements but biceps are tricky right now depending on my wrist position. I’m afraid years of factory work have taken their toll. I might need a time machine instead lol.
As far as the pain involved I could care less…I have the scars and broken bones to prove that:)
Agreed, ART is not that special other than what makes it special. specific work on specific ares using active and passive patient motion. Until Michael Leahy and Tim Patterson, yes that Tim Patterson came up with it, no one ever quantified soft tissue work so specifically.
What sets ART apart is working with the grain of tissue and not cross fiber using the active and passive motion to generate tension to break up soft tissue restrictions. there are other great soft tissue techniques, but ART was unique when it came out app 20 years ago.
Graston is similar in certain ways, but uses instruments. Poliquin is just a hack.
BTW, he was an early ART instructor and was know for a very heavy hand.
[quote]tom63 wrote:
Agreed, ART is not that special other than what makes it special. specific work on specific ares using active and passive patient motion. Until Michael Leahy and Tim Patterson, yes that Tim Patterson came up with it, no one ever quantified soft tissue work so specifically.
What sets ART apart is working with the grain of tissue and not cross fiber using the active and passive motion to generate tension to break up soft tissue restrictions. there are other great soft tissue techniques, but ART was unique when it came out app 20 years ago.
Graston is similar in certain ways, but uses instruments. Poliquin is just a hack.
BTW, he was an early ART instructor and was know for a very heavy hand.[/quote]
The therapist I see has also pointed out that, unlike other disciplines, ART therapists require to be re-certified annually. This entails her travelling to see Leahy in the States, or Italy, where they also roadshow evry year.
She basically claims all her other sports physio methods have been rendered obselete with the arrival of ART.
It will be interesting to see if it gathers momentum within the athletic fraternity in the UK. She is currently treating some soccer players and rugby players, and is generating interest from one very high-profile soccer club in particular.
On Wednesday I had my second ART treatment, 7 days on from the initial. I have to say I was more disappointed this time because as I sat on the train home afterwards my AC joint was tender and inflammed. This was in stark contrast to the first session where there seemed to be instant pain relief and greater mobility.
However, upon waking the next day it felt remarkably better. The tip of the collar bone and clavicle area nearest the neck, where it has been most sensitive, were virtually pain-free.
Now I stress I have neglected all upper body work since my first treatment other than rotator cuff exercises given by the therapist. I’m not prepared to attempt to train around it for now because I want to get this damn thing fixed once and for all with no more set backs (also a single ART session costs almost the same as 3 months membership at my local gym!)
The therapist wants me to give it 14 days until the next treatment, which she believes should be the last. She has recommended a return to light training, more high rep less weight, during that time. I probably will start to incorporate light upper body, shoulder-friendly stuff from next week, paying special attention to rehab exercises.
So again, I have to say I am impressed by the impact of ART and long may the healing process continue!
[quote]ChronosOceanus wrote:
How much did you ART session cost??!? Do you have insurance?
I just had two this past week for my shoulder/neck (scapular area). Hopefully it isn’t hundreds of dollars.[/quote]
My health insurance covers 12 chiro visits, so I only pay the co-pay for it. Without I think they charge $60 for 30 minutes, but this probably varies from place to place.
