•	Active Release Technique (ART)
		•	What is Active Release Technique (ART)?
		•	How Was ART Discovered?
		•	How Does ART Differ From Deep Tissue Massage or Rolfing?
		•	How ART Works — How Does A Doctor Perform ART?
		•	Who Is Qualified To Perform ART?
		•	How Can I Determine If ART Will Work For Me?
		•	What Specific Shoulder Conditions Does ART Help?
		•	Does ART Hurt?
		•	Can ART Help My Sport-Related Shoulder Pain?
		•	When Should You NOT Use ART?

How ART Works — How Does A Doctor Perform ART?

What Dr. Leahy (the founder of ART) discovered was that an enormous amount of TENSION is needed to pull apart the 'welding' that the adhesion has formed on the rotator cuff and surrounding shoulder muscles. And here's the beautiful thing: once the muscles have been freed, they stay that way! They don't spontaneously glue back together; rather, the body metabolizes the broken-up scar tissue.

This is where the "art" comes into play. Active Release 'un-glues' the adhesions, but the ART-Certified doctor must be able to do two basic things:

1. Find the Adhesion. The ART-Certified doctor must be able to locate the adhesion using a well-trained, well-developed sense of touch. They must be able to very accurately place their fingers directly on the adhesion.

2. Tear The Adhesion. Then, the ART-Certified doctor must know the exact direction in which to stretch that particular body part in order to build enough tension to cause the adhesion to tear away. Only by knowing the exact detail of the anatomy can the doctor know how to create enough tension to actually make the adhesion break away.

Once the structural damages (adhesions) have been located within the shoulder and surrounding tissues, the Active Release treatments can begin to 'release' the adhesions and start the true healing process within your shoulder. The pain will begin to decrease and your ability to do more activities will increase.

Dr. Janzen locates the adhesion in Frank Shamrock's shoulder.

Dr. Janzen instructs Frank to move his arm downward, in a specific direction that is OPPOSITE the tension being placed on the adhesion in Frank's shoulder. This causes the adhesion to break away. The broken scar tissue is then metabolized by the body.