
How It Works
From couch potatoes, to weekend warriors, to Hall of Fame athletes; and from tweaking your back, to overuse injuries, even to injuries “requiring” surgery, ART treatment helps. When body systems responsible for movement stop working as designed, you feel pain. ART corrects the root movement disfunction and the resulting pain. Here’s how:
Diagnose
ART Certified Providers™ utilize a hands-on diagnostic process, palpating affected areas in order to pinpoint the damaged and inflamed tissue. (Don’t worry, “palpating” just means the Certified Provider uses touch to feel and diagnose the root cause of the injury or disorder.)
Release Muscles
ART treatment works by releasing muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia that no longer function properly due to overuse or injury.
Relieve Pain
Once the issue is located, the treatment proceeds to specific patient movements and practitioner touch to release adhesions and relieve pain.
What to Expect
Treatment sessions last about 15-minutes and many patients experience dramatic reduction in pain and increase in range of motion after their first treatment. Most problems are resolved in five or fewer treatments. Meaning you spend less time in waiting rooms and doctor’s offices, and more time living your life.

Conditions Treated
ART treatment is effective against signs and symptoms of muscle and nerve dysfunction – sometimes referred to as soft-tissue conditions or MSDs – including tightness, pain, tingling, inflammation, restricted range of motion, muscle ache, and related symptoms.
Certifications Explained

Upper Extremity
Level 1
Treatment of structures pertaining to the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders
Level 2
Advanced education and training on the upper extremities and related structures

Spine
Level 1
Treatment of structures pertaining to the upper, middle, and lower back, abdomen, neck, jaw, and head
Level 2
Advanced education and training on the spine and related structures

Lower Extremity
Level 1
Treatment of structures pertaining to the feet, ankles, legs, knees, and hips
Level 2
Advanced education and training on the lower extremities and related structures

Nerve
Advanced Certification Only
Nerves, located anywhere in the body
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does an ART visit entail?
Your first visit with an ART Certified Provider will likely begin with your medical history and background, followed by questions concerning the specific problem you’re experiencing. These questions include where your condition or pain is located, what may have caused it, and what motion(s) aggravate it. From there, the provider will move to the hands-on diagnostic process and palpate the described areas to pinpoint the root problem. Don’t worry, “palpate” just means the Certified Provider uses touch to feel and diagnose the root cause of the injury or disorder.
Once the root is identified, specific ART protocols will be used to repair and restore the damaged tissue. This process may be repeated a few times depending on the number of affected areas and severity of pain.
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Who is certified to provide ART treatment?
ART Certified Providers include licensed chiropractors, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, medical doctors, athletic trainers, registered nurses, osteopathic doctors, occupational therapists, and massage therapists. Whatever their profession, be assured that your ART Certified Provider is licensed by your state and credentialed by ART to provide ART treatment.
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How does ART treatment differ from other therapies/modalities?
Touch is an important psychomotor skill directly correlated with successful and rapid treatment. ART is the only modality that utilizes effective and comfortable touch as one of its keystones. ART Certified Providers are highly trained in the only soft-tissue system that incorporates a diagnostic process to accurately and efficiently determine the specific tissues generating pain and altered movement. ART Full Body Certified Providers can effectively locate each of the 450 structures we treat and palpate those structures to determine if the tissue is healthy or damaged.
The ART System allows us two distinct advantages: (1) Determining the actual root issue, instead of focusing solely on the location of the pain; and (2) Delivering effective treatment to a pinpointed structure. The result: better outcomes, faster.
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How many ART treatments are required to resolve my condition?
It is not rare for a treatable condition to be fully resolved in one ART treatment session, though most conditions will require between two and four follow-up visits with your ART Certified Provider. If you find that you are back at your ART Certified Provider for the seventh follow-up visit (or more), have a transparent conversation with your provider about the efficacy of ART treatment for your case and the provider’s long-term prognosis. While unusual, there are cases where maintenance with ART treatment may be appropriate.
Bottom line, we really like you, and your ART Certified Provider probably does too, but your provider doesn’t really want to see you all the time. The goal of Active Release Techniques treatment is to get you back to living your life, pain-free, as soon as possible.
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Do ART Certified Providers work for ART, or are ART Certified Providers franchisees?
No. ART Certified Providers do not work for ART, nor are ART Certified Providers franchisees of ART. ART credentials healthcare professionals that attend its seminars and meet its quality control standards to promote and advertise ART treatment in connection with their professional practice. Except for truthful representation of ART Certified Provider credentials on our website, ART does not promote or endorse any specific ART Certified Provider and has no control over ART Certified Providers but to remove their ART credentials.
We have found that the significant majority of complaints we receive concerning “ART Certified Providers” actually concern professionals that are not credentialed by ART. But, if you have a complaint concerning an ART Certified Provider, we want to know about it. We do not want professionals providing counterfeit ART treatment, and we do not want professionals providing genuine ART treatment to be engaged in misconduct or harmful practices. Both harm the public and the ART brand and name. If this happens to you, please email us here with a detailed description of your experience.
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How do I choose the right ART Certified Provider for me?
Be sure that your ART Certified Provider is ART Certified for the type of injury or disorder for which you seek treatment. For example, a provider certified only in ART Lower Extremity Level 1 is probably not your best choice for a shoulder issue. Generally, the more ART certifications, the more experienced the provider, and the more confident you can be in the provider’s ART skillset.
Other than that, the search for the “right” ART Certified Provider is a lot like the search for any other healthcare professional. Look for reviews for providers in your area and conduct other research until you’re comfortable with your choice. If you’re not comfortable with the provider after your initial visit, look for another ART Certified Provider in your area.
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How are ART Certified Providers credentialed to provide ART treatment?
ART Certified Providers first become credentialed by completing a 24-hour training seminar, culminating in hands-on testing to determine whether they are qualified to be an ART Certified Provider. (Many do not pass.) Every new certification thereafter requires successful completion of the same training and testing process.
All ART Certified Providers must successfully complete a seminar once every 12 months and a hands-on seminar with testing once every 24 months to ensure they remain capable of providing genuine, quality ART treatment. ART treatment evolves in the same way as technology, and the skills of our providers change as well. It is imperative for our providers to stay at the top of their game. Recertification each and every year ensures ART Certified Providers are delivering ART treatment that meets our quality control standards.
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How can you know if you’re receiving ART treatment from an ART Certified Provider?
Our website. If your provider is not listed in our Provider Directory, they are not providing genuine ART treatment. They are selling a counterfeit, often at the same or higher price of genuine ART treatment.
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What are the potential risks or side effects of ART treatment?
Because ART treatment is non-invasive, there are no known short- or long-term side effects to genuine ART treatment delivered by an ART Certified Provider.
Professionals who are not credentialed to provide ART treatment may, however, inadvertently cause muscle and nerve damage by applying too much pressure or by applying pressure to incorrect anatomical structures — another reason why we don’t recommend so-called “ART Treatment” by anyone but ART Certified Providers.
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Does ART treatment hurt?
It shouldn’t. Some of the movements your provider asks you to perform may be uncomfortable. ART hands-on treatment can also be uncomfortable. But you should tell your provider immediately if uncomfortable crosses into pain, especially if it is intense.
Following a treatment session, your tissue may be sore. Some compare this soreness to muscle aches following strength training. Pain or discomfort exceeding soreness is exceptionally rare and a reason to notify your provider.
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Does my insurance cover ART treatment?
It depends on your state of residence and your medical insurance plan. Many plans do not cover ART treatment but may cover services that broadly describe or approximate ART treatment, such as myofascial release or some physical therapy services. Some ART Certified Provider offices will do cash upfront for ART treatment and are then willing to bill insurance to see if the services will be covered.
In sum, some plans cover ART treatment and some don’t, while others may have a specialty co-pay. If you are concerned about insurance coverage, please check with your ART Certified Provider and/or insurance company prior to beginning a course of treatment.
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What should I do if the person providing me with ART treatment is not listed on your website?
Let us know! Many of these people have never completed an ART Seminar or have not completed an ART Seminar in many years, sometimes a decade or longer. They are fooling the public and may be risking the health of their patients by providing spurious “ART” treatment. Help protect others by emailing us at info@activerelease.com. Please include the full name and web address (if applicable) for the offending individual or practice.
Disclaimer: ART treatment is generally not appropriate for critical injuries requiring immediate attention, cuts or abrasions, infectious diseases, cancers, fractures, dislocations or tendon ruptures, though it may assist in recovery from these types of injuries or associated medical procedures. Your ART Certified Provider knows whether ART treatment is appropriate for your particular case. If you need immediate medical attention, please call 911.