What’s the Difference? ART and Trigger Point Release.
What is ART?
ART treatment is a non-invasive system that treats soft-tissue and nerve dysfunction at the source. This hands-on treatment uses a combination of provider touch, depth, and tension with patient movement to pinpoint and treat the origin of the affected area.
What causes soft-tissue damage?
Soft-tissue damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons can be caused by everyday movements, sports injuries, blunt forces, and overused muscles. Common signs of soft-tissue damage include:
- Sprains
- Bruises
- Tendonitis
- Bursitis
- Stress injuries
- Strains
What is trigger point release?
Trigger point release can be used to manage and relieve pain by relaxing the injured muscle through trigger points. Trigger points are tight bands within a muscle fiber that are created when the muscles are under stress and tension. Basically, a very sore point within a muscle.
What causes trigger points?
Trigger points can develop for various reasons from bad posture to aging. Other common causes include:
- Disrupted sleep
- Joint issues
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Chronic mental health issues (anxiety, stress, depression)
- Overuse of muscles
- Lack of exercise
- Slip and fall injuries
The benefits
Who benefits from ART treatment?
Anyone with soft tissue can benefit from ART treatment. When muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves are overused or do not function properly, ART treatment should be considered. ART treatment does not require a prescription or referral from a physician.
After treatment, patients can expect to feel increased muscle mobility and less pain through:
- Decreased stiffness
- Improved range of motion
- Relieved joint pain
- Decreased inflammation
Who benefits from trigger point release?
To release trigger points, there are a few ways a medical professional can address the source of pain:
- Through manual pressure and touch
- Dry needling
- Massage
- Heat therapy
Trigger point release is commonly used to attack pain in the back, hip, neck, and knees. It increases blood flow due to the breakage of muscle knots. This can leave patients feeling little to no pain (dependent on condition) and improved range of motion.
However, trigger point release has sometimes been viewed as a last option based on controversial opinions among medical professionals.
So, ART or trigger point release?
While both treatments are effective at eliminating total discomfort by treating the specific pain source, there are some differences and similarities to consider.
Some differences:
- ART treatment only uses touch and movement to manipulate the muscles and soft tissue. Trigger point release can involve different methods to break down the knotted muscle.
- ART treatment typically requires few sessions, while trigger point release can vary depending on how the knotted muscle is being treated.
Some similarities:
- The type and severity of soft-tissue dysfunction factor into what level of discomfort is experienced, if any, during ART treatment and trigger point release.
- There are overlapping conditions that either method can treat.