SOFT TISSUE THERAPIES:

 ART® AND GRASTON®

Soft Tissue Therapies ART® & Graston® are used in combination when necessary with BioFlex Laser Therapy to heal both acute and chronic injuries.

How do Overuse Injuries or Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTD) occur?

Overused muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:

Acute injuries (pulls, tears, collisions, etc.)
Accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
Not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)

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 causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.

Cumulative trauma and overuse of soft tissue causes Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI). The incidence of RSI’s is skyrocketing. Recently, the healthcare 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 U.S. 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 it is to break this cycle.

Active Release Technique (ART)® & Graston®:

ART® stands for Active Release Techniques. ART® and Graston® are both patented, state-of-the-art soft tissue systems that treat problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. ART® uses the clinicians hands, while Graston® Technique incorporates a patented form of stainless steel instruments. Both techniques enable the clinician to effectively detect and treat scar tissue and restrictions that affect normal function. These two patented techniques used in combination or alone provide a way to locate, diagnose, and treat the underlying causes of cumulative trauma disorders (repetitive stress disorders). These disorders result in symptoms of:

Numbness
Tingling
Burning
Aching

Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fascitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they often result from injury to over-used muscles.

ART® & Graston® are used in combination with other treatments:

Yes, these two techniques can be used with many other strategic multidisciplinary therapies, such as Chiropractic, Low Intensity Laser Therapy, and Physical Therapy. These therapies provide a comprehensive range of effectiveness that enhances the patient's end result of increased range of motion, decreased pain and optimal function.

History of ART®:
Dr. Michael Leahy, a Doctor of Chiropractic based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, developed Active Release Techniques (ART®). Prior to becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Leahy was an aeronautical engineer with the U.S. Air Force. Combining his engineering background and his knowledge of human anatomy, Dr. Leahy formulated a unique and effective approach for dealing with soft tissue injuries, now known as ART®. This is a hands-on therapy that corrects muscular and soft tissue problems caused by the formation of adhesive tissues that are laid down due to overuse or cumulative trauma.

History of Graston®
The Graston® Technique, researched at Ball Memorial Hospital and Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, was conceived by an athlete who suffered a debilitating knee injury while water skiing.

Frustrated at the lack of rehabilitation progress following surgery and conventional therapy, he applied his professional background in machining to create the initial Graston® Technique instruments to treat his soft tissue injury.

In 1994, Therapy Care Resources Inc., parent company of Graston® Technique, opened an outpatient clinic in Indianapolis, where outcome data was gathered on a wide range of chronic and acute injuries. Five years later, the company turned all of its attention to teaching and training clinicians and research on the technique.

Today, there are more than 1100 clinicians--including athletic trainers, chiropractors and therapists--who use the Graston® Technique protocol to effectively detect-treat-resolve a myriad of connective soft tissue dysfunctions.

Graston® Technique is part of the curriculum at four colleges/universities and is actively engaged in research projects at Texas Back Institute, New York Chiropractic College and St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis. The company has five U.S. patents on the instruments and technique method. Michael I. Arnolt, TCR president, is a founder of the 10-year-old company.

Conditions that can be treated with ART® and Graston®:

Foot conditions
Leg & Thigh conditions
Knee conditions
Hip conditions
Low back conditions
Back conditions
Facial Neck conditions
Elbow conditions
Hand & Wrist conditions
Osteoarthritis conditions
Repetitive strain conditions
Myofascitis - scar tissue
Wound healing
Fibromyalgia
Lymphedema
Diabetic neuropathy
Bursitis
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ\TMD)

Frequently Asked Questions of ART® & Graston®

What are adhesions?
Is there a difference between ART®, Graston®, and Massage?
How do I know if someone provides ART® and Graston®?
Who can benefit from ART® and Graston®?
What is treatment like?
What can I do to help?
Will my condition or problem return after treatment?
How do ART® & Graston® improve performance?

1) What are Adhesions?

Our bodies contain special dense protein structures called fascia (a type of connective tissue). Fascial tissue interconnects all the components of your body, from the tips of our toes to the structures within our head. This fascia acts a flexible skeleton. When this tissue is healthy, it is smooth and slippery, allowing the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and organs to move freely and function properly. Envision a piece of scotch tape; the smooth side is healthy fascia, while the sticky side is scar tissue or unhealthy fascia. Try rubbing both sides of the tape along your skin. The smooth side slips easily across your skin. The sticky side drags across your skin. The drag that you feel, the “pulling�?sensation is how an adhesion affects the smooth functioning of your body. Adhesions attach to muscles, decreasing their ability to work properly. You know you have an adhesion on a nerve if you get many abnormal sensations like numbness, tingling, or pain.

2) Is there a difference between ART®, Graston® and Massage?

The procedures used by massage are very different from ART® and Graston®, and produce different results. There are many types of massage and massage can be highly recommended with these procedures. But most massage techniques do not use active or passive range of motion as does ART®, which elongates the tissue, aiding in reducing the restrictions. Graston® uses innovative stainless steel instruments to assist fibrosis reduction. These techniques are specifically designed to remove adhesions and scar tissues, increase blood flow, promote collagen deposition and restore full range of motion to the tissues and joints.

3) How do I know if someone provides Active Release® and Graston® Techniques?

Proficiency at ART® and Graston® takes a long time to develop. Training is hands-on. The touch is the most difficult aspect to learn, and takes time, effort and resources to master. There are a small but growing number of practitioners who are becoming trained in these two techniques and while there are many people who claim to practice them, the only individuals who are legally allowed to make this claim are those that have undergone rigorous training and testing with qualified instructors. Accredited individuals must attend workshops and pass examinations to become qualified, and pass yearly evaluation to maintain accreditation.

4) Who can benefit from ART® & Graston®?

These techniques can help everyone, including athletes, office professionals and even children. Many professional athletes are using these tools to enhance their performance and prevent injuries. Well-known athletes such as Donovan Bailey �?an Olympic gold medal sprinter, Gary Roberts �?NHL player, Bill Romanoski �?NFL player, and Jamie Sale �?Olympic gold medal winner in pairs figure skating, have all benefited from such treatments, and so can you!

5) What is treatment like?

10-20 minute treatments per affected area

Usually requires 6-12 treatments for mild conditions, more for chronic injuries

Pain (“good hurt�?

Possible bruising

Feeling tissue restrictions releasing

Awareness of “grainy�?or “knotty�?texture of tissue

Warmth, looseness, increased range of motion following treatment
 

6) What can I do to help?

Stretch the muscle tissues
Apply cold therapy

BioFlex Low Intensity Laser Therapy for:
Reduction in pain, edema and inflammation
o Acceleration of the healing process
o Regeneration of epithelial layer with rapid closure of wounds
o Re-establishing continuity of muscle/tendon matrix

7) Will my condition or problem return after treatment?
Usually, the positive changes are permanent, but the ultimate answer depends on patient compliance with post-care recommendations. “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you will keep getting what you are getting.�?This is especially true for those suffering from repetitive strain injuries (RSI) or cumulative trauma injuries. Once we have eliminated your pain and rehabilitated the injured tissues we do recommend that you maintain a schedule of periodic checkups. Repetition of injury causing behavior or activities will cause the problem to reoccur. An important part of ART® and Graston® treatments are the accompanying recommendations for activity modification, stretching and exercises. Each patient should commit to carrying out these suggestions to obtain the best results.

8) How do ART® & Graston® improve performance?
Performance of any task, whether sport or work related, can improve significantly with ART® and Graston® treatments. Restoring proper muscle function and movement enables the body to perform at its most optimal level.

Links of interest

www.activerelease.com
http://www.grastontechnique.com
www.wheelessonline.com

From:   http://www.softclinic.ca/graston_soft_tissue.html#faq