ART® can help a provider treat more soft tissue injuries and complement his/her practice with the general public and athletes alike by treating injuries quickly and efficiently. Most individuals presenting to a chiropractic office where the provider is certified in ART®, will hopefully see benefit quickly because of how effective ART® is. However, there are many certifications within ART® that generate more prowess and confidence in treating these various soft tissue injuries. This article will outline and discuss the various ART® certifications one can attain to help his/her patients.

When you 1st start taking ART® courses to earn your certification, you have to start with the level 1 or introductory courses of each body region (spine, lower body, and upper body). These courses introduce you to stretching a single muscle, tendon, ligament, or nerve in terms of finding the correct tissue, learning how to shorten the tissue followed by how to lengthen it by applying the proper depth and compression with your thumb or finger(s). With the particular seminar’s body region, there are about 100 different protocols to allow you to treat different injuries that may present to your office. As you gain more confidence and learn the nuances of ART®, one may consider the level 2, or master’s courses.

In level 2 courses, the provider looks at the interface between 2 tissues to assess, evaluate, and improve the relative movement of these 2 soft tissues (typically muscles). The level 2 courses are significantly harder because they require you to not only find the correct location of the 2 tissues, but to feel the relative motion between them (or lack thereof) to improve an injury that a patient presents with.

If the level 2 courses are not of current interest, there are other courses such as nerve entrapment or master’s courses, which serve to treat injuries around a nerve but stretch the entire nerve as it travels down a limb (arm or leg). It should be known that in order to take the nerve entrapment course, a provider needs to be at least a full body certified Level 1 provider. The master’s course is an intimate small group setting with a few providers who work with Dr. Leahy, the founder of ART®, in honing their skills and receiving feedback from him to improve your proficiency as an ART® provider.

Lastly, there are other certification opportunities within ART® by working at a 1/2 or full Ironman race across the United States or working with a company/facility to treat factory workers to reduce costs associated with worker’s compensation injuries (better known as the EPN/Elite Provider Network). These particular events apply your skills as an ART® provider to help numerous people outside of your office.

These certifications are valuable in separating you from other providers in your area by increasing your knowledge and expertise in treating people in your community who suffer injuries at work and/or through sports.

Brian Marion, DC, CCSP, ART, CKTP

2202 N. Lincoln Ave Suite 1 Chicago, IL 60614 (773) 248-2790

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