Hi zeppelin,
Sometimes ITB pain is actually caused but restrictions in other areas of the pelvis and low back. ART works great with restrictions that lead to ITB syndrome drop me a pm and we can discuss the details.
Gregg
Rasmns,
ART can in no way make a disc herniation worse. I would suggest challenging your doctor to tell you the details of what ART is. Also ask him why he thinks ART treatment is harmful.
To be honest with you I have treated many patients with disc herniations with great results and have not had any patients that got worse actually most patients see phenomenall results in just a few treatments. Have fun getting a real answer from your doctor.
Gregg
Jeppuda,
Being certified in biomechanics is not as important as say using ART on the daily basis in your clinic. Lots of ART providers get biomechanics at some point in their education so most make a monetary investment in other areas as opposed to biomechanics certification. Hope that helps.
Gregg
hey dr gregg thanks for your reply…
its been 1 week since i injured it, the pain really hasn’t improved at all, but the strength in my arm has increased…
the only area in which the pain has subsided is when i extend my arm (straighten it)… other than that, “just gently touching it” in the area causes it to get real painful (same with grabbing/flexing/pulling)…
ive been stretching it, applying ice/heat and immbolizing it at night…
no bruising/swelling etc, although, when i tore my calve and when i had a broken thumb (it got stretched and the ligament pulled out a peice of bone i forget what it is called), i had no bruising with those injuries… anyone have any idea why? just wondering because most documents i read state that if you tear the muscle/tendon bruising will occur very quickly… just curious!
anyway just would like to thank you and this thread for the advice, its real helpful.
Dr. Gregg,
Quick question. I’ve been having problems with my pec for about 5 months now. Have been through 3 art treatments, and have not really noticed that much improvement. Am still feeling severe pulling/discomfort in my left pec muscle. The pain has not really decreased with anything i do, except for ibprophen. I think it’s torn. What is the best course of treatment, and based upon your knowledge, should I seek out a different ART therapist due to lack of results after 3 visits? Thanks. Also, is there another type of dr. i should see in conjuction with my therapist?
Ransomed, be careful with the NSAIDs, as I have heard they inhibit protein synthesis.
I sure would like to see you taking a good proteolytic enzyme complex. Read up on Wobenzyme. People think of joint problems when they think of Wobenzyme, but it would help with protein turnover and repair, specifically your healing pec.
I might super-charge Wobenzyme with some bromelain, too.
BTW, your best use of Wobenzyme would be to get quite aggressive with the dosing for a couple of weeks. It should be taken on an empty stomach, 2 hours after a meal and one hour before a meal. But you could easily take it at 2 or 3 times the dosage recommended on the bottle, 5 or 6 times a day.
DR. Greg,
I PM'd you but haven't gotten a response. Are you still there?
Zeppelin,
I sent you a private message but I’ll try again.
I’m still here!
Ransomed,
I honestly believe that you should have at least felt some relief in terms of increased range of motion. Pain would probably still be present but ART provides results quick and effectively. I usually like to see patients 2-3 times per week for 3 weeks and then assess it from there. Obviously every injury is different and each patient heals differently. I have had patients’pain resolve in 1 visit and others are a little more difficult. The important thing is that you have confidence in your doctor.
Good Luck
Dr. Gregg,
Shouldn’t you be in Montreal? When the hell did you decide to go to Florida? I gotta’ run to Anatomy Class. Give me a call later tonight, after 7pm so we can catch up. I did my observation with Al Miller and the Falcons last Thursday. It was awesome. I want to fill you in. Hope all is well brother.
-Scott
ps - I haven’t seen Chuck since the Thrashers/Panthers game, another one bites the dust!
DR. Greg,
I keep checking my PM’s but I haven’t seen anything yet. Are you operational in your new office?
Hey, just wanted to let some of you that are interested in ART therapy know that I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Gregg while on vacation in my area during the Easter holiday. Was kewl enough to find the time for a session to at least help diagnose and start a process of healing.
After a few questions about the nature of my problems (mostly neck and lower back pain/inflammation/immobility) he was able to begin treatment with a series of stretches that is able to help correct the issue. It was then explained to me that the cause of most of my pain within my neck was due to an impingement of some of the nerves in that area during certain muscle movements. The impingement is often due to underlying scar tissue between the layers of muscle or between muscle groups caused from a previous injury. The scar tissue acts somewhat like “a glue” that dissallows the nerves and other tissues to slide/move freely amongst the muscles causing increased stimulation usually resulting in pain. The goal is to find and break up the scar tissue through the ART stretching which helps relieve the body of the unwanted tissue. Made sense to me anyway.
During the treatment you’re usually lying or sitting on a padded bench not unlike one you’d see at a chiropractor’s office or massage parlor, and you’re assisted in a series of stretches tailored to treat your symptoms. Most of them include the Dr. placing accute pressure on various tendons and muscle-bellies one by one while you’re being directed through a series of stretches for each at the same time. The vast majority of these excersizes can not be performed on their own, and one can quickly see where experience becomes a big factor in this particular field. (as does in most)
I was told how most problems aren’t isolated incidents, and are usually part of a dynamic mechanical chain. In other words, not only was my neck tended to, but he opted to work on my shoulders, traps, lats, pecs, rhomboids along the spine, etc. He was very patient and thorough and after a full 2 hour session (WOW!) the pain I sometimes feel during certain movements was not completely gone (as was previously explained to me, would take a few steady treatments) but was noticeably better. The new/increased range of motion I had in my shoulders/neck/back area though was undeniable!! That also seemed to make all the difference in the world concerning my neck because of the nature of the injury, it’ll be one I’ll have to live with all my life, but immediately after the ART session I was able to move it much more freely without the sensation of tightness and being close to the “edge” of pulling it so easily. Was a very welcomed plus. Also worked a bit with my lower back with the help of his brother who was around at the time (Found time to work me in at his bro’s place where he was stayin for a few) so I really appreciated that as well.
Afterwards I was given specific supplementation info to help the healing process such as Omega 3’s and high dosages of Alpha-Lipoic Acid to help the damaged nerve regeneration. Also have to make sure and drink plenty of water afterwards to aid the body in flushing the broken up scar tissues out, and a few other general recommendations everyone should be doing daily anyway. I was prescribed a few detailed stretches to help ‘stay loose’ in a few areas around my neck as well as to prevent the remaining scar tissue from ‘regrouping’ similar to its previous state before being able to be worked on, flushed out, and healed correctly. I was also warned of the slight bit of temporary soreness I’d soon have due to the stretching of many of the muscles that usually don’t get stretched in that manner or were just too tight, and rightfully so, was just that, a bit of soreness that didn’t last long. Kinda felt good if your used to that sorta thing, almost like a small workout.
Overall was a good experiance and had learned in a short amount of time what would seem like common sense, what all of the doctors, specialists, and chiropractors and such were unable tell me for years. Not to generalize groups of people, that was just my luck over the years. But after all, the info alone was worth it. Greg explained to me that major improvements to conditions such as mine are made in a few more consecutive sessions, and that when I decide to pursue this in that manner, to give him a holler and he’ll recommend someone for me in my area. So ranks as very cool in my book.
Figured I’d write this post for those of you that are interested in this type of therapy but still aren’t quite sure if it is for you or not. Depending on your condition, it could be a worthwhile experiance. Is definitely worth a shot, was for me. Thanks Dr. Gregg for all the help and Tampa-Terry for the always good info and recommendation. Catch you all later.
Thanks for the great thread TT. I am going to be moving to Orlando soon. I might have to go down to see Dr. Gregg if my present Chiropractor doesnt heal my back pain.
anton
TT,
I’m glad to see others are recieving the benefits of the appropriate and exelent application of ART. I recieved treatment from a friend of mine who practices this technique,(among others) to rehab injuries.Along with applying ART,I was given a bunch of rehab exercised,detailed written instructions, and a whole lot of hands on, personal training at his facility. He took a multi-factoral approach to the treatment of my shoulder pain, slightly torn pect and bicep, front-back imbalance, and tightness in the ITB. The results were and still are way beyond any expectations I could have had. A couple words of warning for people seeking treatment. It was not a majic bullet. There was a lot I needed to learn and do to maintain the results. If your ART provider doesn’t include the necessary information needed to maintian these results, ask for it yourself. If the practitioner can’t provide this info, go to someone who can.The practitioner I saw is in PA. I don’t know what his screen name is but I guess he can be contacted through the ART website. I hope everyone elses experience with this is as good as mine! BYE!
mindeffer01
WolfGrave, thank you for the update!!! That’s fabulous news. And it’s really nice to hear what other people got out of their ART experience.
Tones, you won’t be sorry. Since I took my little ART vacation, I’ve been working out in the gym like a FIEND. EDT. Now that I don’t have injuries, issues and muscular imbalances to work around, I’m seeing some very nice gains. But the best part is just the fact that I’m painfree. The elbow continues to improve.
mindeffer01, very good point you’re making about the follow-up work and stretching that needs to be done. The more motivated the patient, the better the result.
And yes, that was probably the thing about my ART experience that excited me the most, was the time Dr. Gregg spent showing me how to maintain and improve upon the good work he did on me. It was a pretty time-consuming investment on his part.
Anyone who receives ART but who doesn’t receive that type of information hasn’t received the full value of ART.
Wolfgrave,
Thanks for taking the time to post your experience with ART on this thread. I think you probably helped alot of people that are still wondering about ART. I’m happy you got good results and I hope you continue the stretches.
Good Luck and Thank you
Gregg
Dr Gregg,
I am curious about the relationship between ART and Rolfing, if any. There are many different types of bodywork that involve fascia-- the ones I am familiar with all have roots in Rolfing. What about ART?
The techniques you describe are familiar to me as something any rolfer might do, and the way you considered whole body connections/relationships during treatment (as reported by Terry in the case study) also sounds like standard Rolfing. I am a Rolfer, and in my experience it is rare to find a problem in the shoulder (or anywhere else) that exists without being tied into compenstions elswhere in the body. Is this way of looking at relationships usual for an ART practitioner or is this something sets you apart from the average?
I’ll admit that I’ve considered ART to be a step down in sophistication and effectiveness from Rolfing and other types of structural integration. ART has seemed like “spot-rolfing” to me, that is–localized soft tissue work without accounting for whole body complexity. This opinion was primarily formed by reading t-mag’s interview with Dr Leahy (who’s claims of effectiveness strike me as either deluded or misleading) and by my boyfriend’s (a t-mag junkie) unfortunately unsatifying experience receiving work from Dr Leahy himself. But you sound like a very talented practitioner, so I’d like to hear you address my assumptions.
To the whole forum: Terry said at the beginning of this post that ART is only as good as the practitioner. I couldn’t agree more; that’s very true, for any type of work. I’d encourage folks who like the sound of ART to also look at Rolfing, Hellerwork, SOMA (these are three types of what is called “Structural Integration”–there are more). You might find a talented Rolfer in your area if there isn’t an ART practitioner.
best,
Catherine
Catherine, welcome to the forum!!!
Sorry to hear about your boyfriend’s poor results. The first thing that comes to mind, though, is that since Dr. Leahy charges $95/10 minutes ($950 per hour), he might not have gotten all the work that was needed to get the job done. I probably received 10 hours of treatment in 6 days. At Dr. Leahy’s rates, as good as ART is, I couldn’t have afforded the work.
If ART is appropriate for the situation/condition with which the person presents, it is normal to see IMPROVEMENT from session to session. But it typically takes 4-6 treatments to CORRECT the underlying problems. Of course, the severity of the situation varies from person to person, and someone could need more or less treatments.
I hope one of the other healing modalities helped your boyfriend. In the end, it doesn’t matter what type of body work gets the job done, just that the person finds relief!
I look forward to Dr. Gregg’s thoughts as well. (grin)
Catherine,
Active Release Technique is performed by doctors that have a vast knowledge of tissue physiology, injury repair, anatomy and biomechanics. ART is a SPECIFIC ground breaking soft tissue technique that addresses scar tissue formation in overuse injuries. I agree that you should address the kinetic chain if you are dealing with an ankle injury (kinetic chain would include the ankle, knee, hip and low back) like I have been saying but explain to me why an ankle problem should be addressed with 10 sessions of full body work as proposed by people doing Rolfing. You might respond that fascial connections in the body consist throughtout however ART is a specific soft tissue technique that once you understand biomechanics and analyze the motion that causes pain then you will not need to have your patients come back for unneeded treatments. ART is actually very sophisticated in that your addressing the injury and related structures and getting very effective results in a short period of time keeping players on the football field, on the ice or in the gym lifting and not waiting for 10 treatments over a 10 month period for results. To be honest with you I think Active Release Techniques’ sophistication speaks for itself and that is why ART providers are part of professional sport teams training rooms treating high profile athletes as well as recreational atheletes. To be honest with you I believe that Rolfing is more primative and is in lines of a deep tissue massage. After reading your post I believe that you are not really asking a question about ART but actually promoting the Rolfing technique. Anyhow, thank you for your time.
Regards
Gregg
Just a question I had for you what is actually the educational background that you need to enter the Rolfing institute and what is the actual the degree you possess when you complete the program?