Chronic pain is something that some people deal with on a daily basis.  Most people get injured and don’t do anything about it because their pain goes away quickly or it isn’t limiting them.  What happens over time is your body lays down fibroblasts, or scar tissue, to help the injured body part heal as you continue to move.  Scar tissue, or adhesions, limit flexibility of a tissue and restrict mobility of the joint it moves.   As your repetitive movement continues, your body begins to adapt to the injury until it can no longer compensate.  Once it stops compensating, something as trivial as reaching for a water glass or bending over to tie your shoes can create the major flare-up you have heard about.  It’s important to note that reaching for that glass or tying your shoes didn’t cause this problem, but it is what caused your episode because of chronic overuse and repetitive movement involving a muscle(s), tendon(s), or ligament(s).

Active Release therapy can help break the cycle of adhesion formation, inflammation, and chronic activation, or shortening of the muscles, tendons, and/or ligaments involved, when you become injured.  Active Release Techniques’s main goal of treatment is to lengthen a soft tissue that has chronically shortened from over use by breaking down the scar tissue that has formed.  Often times, many soft tissue injuries can prevent one from activities he/she enjoys or simply the small tasks with his/her family.  Also, chronic soft tissue injuries and corresponding pain can lead to complicated issues such as tendinosis (thickening of any tendon from chronic inflammation), muscle and/or ligament micro-tearing (strains or sprains).  Active Release Techniques (ART) providers can help one to regain their flexibility, mobility, and improve their function with greater results faster.  The longer you wait to heal, the longer it will take to get you the results you seek.

Brian Marion, DC, CCSP, ART, CKTP

Lincoln Park Chiropractic & Sports Associates 2202 N. Lincoln Ave

Chicago, IL 60614 (773) 248-2790 www.lincolnparkchiropractic.com