Active Release Techniques®

     ART® is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fascitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART®. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles.

How do overuse conditions occur?

•          Acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc)

•          Accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)

•          Not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)

     Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.

What is an ART® treatment like?

     ART® is incorporated to almost every treatment plan, and thus will occur at most visits. ART® is performed solely with the doctor's hands and allows the doctor to analyze the different tissues by touch. Every ART® session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART® provider uses her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements. These treatment protocols, over 500 specific moves, are unique to ART®. They allow providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient. Many of the symptoms that most of our patients experience are due in part or completely to problems in the soft tissues of the body

How long will it take?

     On average, patients require 4 to 10 visits to correct most soft tissue problems. Obviously, each patient is different depending on their specific injury. Each treatment is expected to last from 20 to 30 minutes. Additional factors that effect this overall treatment time include patient compliance, severity of condition, and overall health.

Dr. John P. Coco is ART® certified in Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, Spine, Biomechanics, Long Tract Nerve, and Complex Protocols. He has also recieved his ART® Masters Certification, and is an assistant instructor with ART®.  Dr. John Coco provides ART® treatments at the Enhanced Chiropractic and Fitness office in Murrysville, and at Coco Chiropractic Associates, LLC in Greensburg.

Dr. Heather M. Coco is ART® certified in Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, and Spine and provides ART® treatments at the Enhanced Chiropractic and Fitness office in Murrysville.