FAQs

What is Active Release Techniques® (ART)?

ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves.  Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART.  These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are a result of overused muscles.

How do overuse injuries occur?

Overused muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:
*acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc.)

*not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)

*accumulation of small tears (microtrauma)

Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area.  This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely.  As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons can cause tendonitis, and nerves can become “trapped”.  This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain.  If a nerve is entrapped you may also feel tingling, numbness and weakness.

What is an ART treatment like?

Every ART session is actually a combination of examination and treatment.  The ART provider uses their hands to evaluate texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves.  Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.  These treatment protocols-over 500 specific moves-are unique to ART.  They allow providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient.  ART is not a cookie-cutter approach.

What is the history of Active Release Techniques ®?

ART has been developed, refined, and patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP.  Dr. Leahy noticed that his patients’ symptoms seemed to be related to changes in their soft tissue that could be felt by hand.  By observing how muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves responded to different types of work, Dr. Leahy was able to consistently resolve over 90% of his patients’ problems.  He now teaches and certifies healthcare providers all over the world to use ART.

What is a chiropractor and what are they actually trained to do?

Chiropractors are unique healthcare practitioners who are trained to diagnose and treat conditions related specifically to the spinal column and its function.  The simple premise of the chiropractic treatment philosophy is that the body is able to heal itself.  One of the ways the body carries this process out is by communicating with itself through the nervous system, which is directly correlated to the proper functioning of the spine and individual vertebra.  Consequently, chiropractors seek to facilitate an ideal state of communication within the body by allowing the nervous system to function at its maximum potential.
In regard to their education, chiropractors are trained physicians who earn their degree at nationally accredited universities and colleges by completing a rigorous four year curriculum similar to that of a medical or osteopathic student.  Upon receiving their Doctor of Chiropractic degree each chiropractor must take and pass a national board examination and fulfill further proficiency qualifications upon licensure in a given state.

What does a chiropractic adjustment feel like?

A chiropractic adjustment is a highly specific correction of a restricted, or poorly functioning, segment of your spine that often times results in an audible noise.  Each patient undergoes an in-depth exam to diagnose and apply the appropriate correction needed. 

Once I start treatment will I have to keep coming back several times over a long period of time?

No.  Emphatically no!  As a chiropractor we are trained to adjust the joints within the spine, which are passive in nature.  This means that joints do not move in and of themselves, it is the muscles attaching to these joints that create movement.  Consequently, when we treat the soft tissue structures with Active Release Techniques® we address the poorly functioning joint by treating the soft tissue structures that attach to the joint.  This approach treats the problem at the root of the cause, thereby greatly minimizing the number and frequency of visits.  Of course each individual case is different, but it is a strong point of emphasis at Quest Performance Center to combine the most effective treatment with appropriate functional training techniques.  Our desire is to empower each individual with the information, understanding and ability to personally facilitate change.