TOP / ABOUT US / What is ART?
Active Release Techniques (ART) was developed by Dr. Michael Leahy, a Doctor of Chiropractic, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Prior to becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Leahy was an aeronautical engineer. Combining his engineering background, with his knowledge of human anatomy and soft-tissue treatment methodologies, Dr. Leahy formulated a unique and effective approach for dealing with soft-tissue injuries, now known as Active Release Techniques or ART.
ART is a hands-on therapy that corrects muscular and soft-tissue problems that are caused by the formation of adhesive tissues that are laid down due to overuse or cumulative trauma.
Soft tissue injury can end your physical career
Cumulative trauma and overuse of soft-tissue causes Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI). The incidence of RSI's is skyrocketing.
Recently, the health care costs for RSI in the U.S. surpassed costs for low back pain as the largest health care expenditure. It is estimated that the cost of RSI's in the US alone exceeds $110 billion yearly.
Soft tissue that is forced to perform the same job over and over becomes irritated and then inflamed. The body responds to inflammation by laying down scar tissue (adhesive tissue) in an attempt to stabilize the area. Once this happens, an ongoing cycle begins that worsens the condition. The longer this condition persists, the harder is is to break this cycle.
ART provides a way to locate, diagnose, and treat the underlying causes of cumulative trauma disorders . These disorders result in symptoms of: