Active Release Technique®

How does the Active Release Technique® work?

Muscle pain isn’t something that anyone wants to deal with, yet many people struggle with it on a daily basis. The Active Release Technique® is a physical therapy method that’s designed to help people treat muscle pain, but you may not know exactly how active release is able to perform this type of work. 

1. Helps unbind muscle fibers

Muscles are made up of parallel fibers, and normal wear and tear on your muscles can cause microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. These tears allow scar tissue, or adhesions, to form on your muscles. This makes it harder for the muscle fibers to move normally, and it can be the reason you’re experiencing daily muscle pain. 

Active release works to remove adhesions from the muscles, and it involves a physical therapist doing specific movements with their hands. There are more than 500 active release movements your therapist can use, and this allows them to personalize the treatment to your needs. 

2. Increases range of motion

Range of motion is how much your body structures are able to move when functioning normally. Like your pain, decreased range of motion can be the result of adhesions in your muscles, and since active release is intended to work toward reducing the effects of adhesions, it can also help increase the range of motion of your muscles. This technique can also be used to deal with other issues that reduce movement, such as fluid buildup and inflammation. 

3. Helps treat muscle-related conditions

The fantastic thing about the Active Release Technique® is it works on conditions that may be related to decreased muscle movement. For example, this technique can help reduce the pain of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis can be worse when your joints lose their range of motion, and decreased muscle movement is one reason this issue may occur. 

By working to improve muscle movement, active release can also help improve joint range of motion, and in turn, this can help reduce the pain and other symptoms of osteoarthritis. Physical therapists can also use active release for treating issues like: 

  • Sciatica
  • Back pain
  • Tendinitis
  • Sports injuries

Find out how well the Active Release Technique® works at SOL Physical Therapy

At SOL Physical Therapy, our physical therapists are trained in the latest and most innovative techniques, and this includes active release. However, this is only one option we offer that can help you, and our personalized therapy plans may also make use of: 

Don’t wait any longer to find out if SOL Physical Therapy can help you. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment. 

About the author

Sports + Orthopedic Leaders Physical Therapy & Performance Training serves the communities of Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Orinda, San Francisco and beyond. SOLPT’s award winning team of Physical Therapists, Performance Coaches and movement experts has helped thousands reach their rehabilitation and performance goals to move beyond pain. We're committed to helping anyone of any fitness level move effectively and more powerfully for a lifetime. We offer rehabilitation and performance services to all populations, with specialties in Sports Rehabilitation, Active Release Techniques, and Manual Therapy Techniques plus Personal and Small Group Training, Sport Clinics and Wellness Services.

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