Graston & Active Release Technique (ART)
Graston & Active Release Technique (ART)
Dr. Gefaller has 21 years experience using ART to treat muscle injuries. ART is very effective in removing muscle adhesions and trigger points allowing for sometimes immediate changes in movement and pain. Dr. Gefaller was selected to join Dr. Leahy (the developer of ART) at the Ironman Triathlon Championships in Hawaii.
Dr. Gefaller is also certified in Graston Technique. Graston Technique is a modification of ART where a tool is used to assist the doctor in removing muscle adhesions and trigger points.
What is the Graston Technique?
The Graston Technique is a form of manual therapy known as soft-tissue instrument-assisted mobilization. It is one of a number of manual therapy approaches that uses instruments with a specialized form of massage/scraping the skin gently.
How Does the Graston Technique Work?
Graston physical therapy is successful due to its ability to interrupt the pain cycle and scar tissue formation. This leads to changes in soft tissue flexibility and range of motion. The Graston massage instruments help to amplify soft tissue restrictions. This is similar to how a stethoscope amplifies the sound of a heartbeat.
That tool also becomes the treatment tool in which the clinician twists, turns and chisels away at the adhesion through the skin. They do this in order to induce controlled microtrauma to the area. By inducing microtrauma, the physician triggers an inflammatory process to promote healing and recovery to the area. Graston therapy also stimulates collagen regrowth and redistribution of collagen fibers in the correct pattern. This optimizes range of motion, flexibility, and muscle recruitment.
What is Active Release Technique (ART)?
Active Release Techniques® is the global leader in non-invasive soft-tissue and nerve treatment, including treatment of strains, sprains, and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Hands-on, movement-based ART treatment is specifically designed to quickly reduce pain and restore function. Whether you’ve got a minor strain or a complex injury, ART gets you back to work and back to play faster and more effectively than conventional therapy methods.
How Does Active Release Technique Work?
ART involves over 500 specific manual therapy techniques that practitioners learn to assess and treat restrictions in soft tissue. At each session, Dr. Gefaller will assess which specific muscles to target and find the scar tissues that are causing the problem within it. ART works by combining manual tension on scar tissue with patient movement.
