Active Release Technique (ART) in Fremont, CA — Soft Tissue Therapy That Gets Results
If you’re dealing with muscle tightness, nerve pain, restricted movement, or a soft tissue injury that hasn’t responded to other treatments, Active Release Technique may be exactly what you need. At Joly Chiropractic in Fremont, CA, Dr. Joly is a certified ART provider — trained in over 500 specific treatment protocols targeting muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves throughout the entire body. ART is widely recognized as the gold standard for soft tissue injury care, and it’s a core part of how we help patients recover fully and permanently.
What Is Active Release Technique?
Active Release Technique (ART) is a patented, state-of-the-art soft tissue treatment system that identifies and corrects problems within muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. It was developed, refined, and patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP, after he observed that his patients’ symptoms were consistently related to detectable changes in their soft tissue. Through careful observation of how these tissues responded to different types of work and stress, Dr. Leahy developed a systematic method that could consistently resolve over 90% of his patients’ problems — and he now teaches and certifies healthcare providers worldwide to use ART.
The conditions most commonly treated with ART include headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow. What makes ART particularly powerful is that many of these conditions can be permanently resolved — not just temporarily managed — through a focused course of treatment.
Understanding Adhesions — The Root of Most Soft Tissue Problems
To understand why ART works, it helps to understand what adhesions are and how they affect the body. An adhesion is an area of scar tissue or unhealthy fascia that has developed in response to injury, overuse, or repetitive strain. Fascia is the connective tissue — a protein structure — that connects different parts of the body and creates a flexible internal framework. When fascia is healthy, it allows muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and organs to move freely and function normally.
When adhesions form within or between tissues, they physically bind structures together that should be able to move independently. This restriction decreases normal function, causes pain, and can trap nerves — leading to symptoms like numbness, tingling, weakness, and burning sensations. Adhesions are significantly stronger than healthy tissue, which means they cannot be resolved through stretching or massage alone.
Why Stretching Isn’t Enough
This is one of the most important points we share with patients: stretching, while valuable for injury prevention and general mobility, cannot break down adhesions. When you stretch a muscle that contains adhesions, you lengthen the healthy portions of the tissue — but the adhered sections remain fixed. Over time, this can actually create additional tension and, paradoxically, lead to more adhesions forming. Stretching has its place in a comprehensive treatment plan, but it is not a substitute for the targeted tissue work that ART provides.
How Overuse Injuries Develop
Overused muscles and soft tissues typically change in one of three ways: acute trauma such as pulls and tears, accumulation of micro-tears from repetitive use, or hypoxia — a lack of adequate oxygen to the tissue. Each of these conditions causes the body to produce scar tissue in the affected area. As this scar tissue accumulates, muscles shorten and weaken, tendons become inflamed, and nerves can become entrapped. The result is limited range of motion, reduced strength, persistent pain, and a cycle of re-injury that is difficult to break without directly treating the adhesions themselves.
What Does an ART Treatment Session Look Like?
Each ART session combines examination and treatment in real time. Dr. Joly evaluates the texture, tightness, and movement quality of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, and nerves in the affected area. Any abnormalities are treated by combining precisely directed manual tension — applied by the provider’s hands — with specific, active movements by the patient. This combination is what distinguishes ART from passive massage: the patient’s movement is a critical part of the treatment, allowing tissues to be worked through their full range while tension is applied.
Because ART includes over 500 distinct treatment protocols, every session is highly specific to the individual patient and their injury. No two treatment plans look exactly alike. Most patients recover from their soft tissue injuries within 4 to 12 ART sessions, though this varies based on the severity and duration of the condition.
How ART Differs From Massage Therapy
While massage therapy is valuable for relaxation and circulation, it does not correct the structural dysfunction that adhesions create. ART is specifically designed to identify, isolate, and treat the adhesions and scar tissue causing your symptoms. Where massage promotes general tissue relaxation, ART restores the mechanical function of specific soft tissue structures — making it a far more targeted and corrective treatment for overuse injuries and chronic soft tissue conditions.
At Joly Chiropractic, we often combine ART with chiropractic spinal and extremity adjustments for the most comprehensive results. This combined approach is particularly effective for auto accident injuries and complex conditions listed on our conditions page. Call (510) 249-9037 to schedule your ART evaluation today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Active Release Technique
What conditions does Active Release Technique treat?
ART is effective for a wide range of soft tissue conditions including headaches, back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder impingement, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and many other overuse and repetitive strain injuries. It is also highly effective for treating the soft tissue component of whiplash injuries from auto accidents. Many of these conditions can be permanently resolved with a focused course of ART.
How is ART different from a deep tissue massage?
Deep tissue massage promotes circulation and general muscle relaxation but does not specifically target or break down adhesions and scar tissue. ART is a corrective treatment that uses over 500 precise protocols to identify and treat specific soft tissue dysfunction. It involves active patient movement during treatment — which is a key component — and is designed to restore the mechanical function of muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.
How many ART sessions will I need?
Most patients recover within 4 to 12 ART sessions, though this depends on the nature of your injury, how long it has been present, and your body’s individual response to treatment. Acute injuries typically resolve more quickly than long-standing chronic conditions involving significant scar tissue accumulation. Dr. Joly will give you a realistic estimate after your initial evaluation.
Is Active Release Technique painful?
ART can produce a sensation that patients often describe as a “good hurt” — a therapeutic discomfort similar to the feeling of a productive stretch. Most patients find the treatment quite tolerable, particularly as they begin to feel their range of motion and pain levels improve from session to session. Dr. Joly always adjusts the pressure and intensity based on your individual feedback and comfort level.
Can ART be combined with chiropractic adjustments?
Absolutely — and at Joly Chiropractic, combining ART with chiropractic adjustments is standard practice for many patients. Spinal and extremity adjustments correct joint misalignment and relieve nerve pressure, while ART addresses the soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue that often develop alongside or in response to those misalignments. Together, they produce more complete and lasting results than either approach alone.
I’ve had a soft tissue injury for years — is it too late for ART?
It’s never too late to try ART. Even long-standing, chronic soft tissue conditions often respond well to treatment because ART directly targets the adhesions that are causing dysfunction — regardless of how old they are. Patients sometimes come to us with injuries from auto accidents that occurred years prior and still experience meaningful improvement. The sooner you start, the better — but there is no cutoff point after which ART stops being effective.
How do I get started with Active Release Technique at Joly Chiropractic?
Call our office at (510) 249-9037 or schedule through our appointments page. During your first visit, Dr. Joly will perform a thorough evaluation to identify the soft tissue structures involved in your condition and develop a personalized ART treatment plan. New patients are also encouraged to review our new patient information before their visit.
