Active Release Technique, or A.R.T. for short, is a patented, state-of-the-art soft tissue technique that uses specific contact on the injured area of the patient, in order to help decrease pain, tension, and adhesion.  In A.R.T, the provider uses their hands in a specific motion with pressure to work out the tightness that is affecting that area.

The people that will benefit the most from this technique are:

• Athletes, both professional and recreational
• Patients with chronic pain and overuse
• Patients who want an unconventional treatment for relief

A.R.T. was created by Dr. Michael P. Leahy when he realized that you could actually feel your patient’s tissue injuries.  He discovered that connective tissue and scar tissue could build up as a result of overuse and stress.  As scar tissue builds it ties down tissues that normally need to move freely, thus reducing the range of motion of the affected tissue. This tissue derangement typically causes pain and alters function.

What can be treated by this technique?  There are dozens of conditions, which include, but are not limited to:

• Headaches
• Neck Pain
• Shin Splints
• Shoulder Pain
• Achilles Tendon Pain
• Knee Pain
• Tennis Elbow
• Soreness in tendons, ligaments, and nerves

When you come in for treatment at our active release clinic you can expect Dr. Charbel to analyze your soft tissue function to determine the true cause of pain.  The analysis of the soft tissue is done using a technique called “active palpation”, which is a hands on technique used to discover abnormalities in the soft tissue, usually without the use of an MRI or an ultrasound.

At our affordable chiropractic clinic, Dr. Charbel offers A.R.T. to reduce pain that patients feel from the causes outlined above.  He knows that everyone’s pain is different and every patient should be treated as such.  That’s why he takes the time to talk to each patient and understand where the pain is actually coming from, instead of treating everyone the same.  Additionally, Integrated Health Solutions offers other complimentary therapies to A.R.T., in order to ensure the best care possible.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.

The post Active Release Technique Alternative Treatment for Muscle and Joint Pain appeared first on Integrated Health Solutions.

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondilitis, is a medical condition in which the outer part of the elbow becomes inflamed and painful. This injury is directly related to a repetitive micro trauma, in which muscles of the forearm (the extensor muscles) become overused, leading to adhesion, tension, and tightness in the musculature. This in turn creates a pull and a tug on the bone (epicondyle) where the pain is felt.

Can Anyone Get Tennis Elbow?

Even though this condition is predominately present in tennis and racquetball players, it is is not an exclusive condition to the athletic population. In our clinic, we have seen this condition present in patients who use their arms at work repetitively on a daily basis, such as hair designers, office workers and chefs.

What Causes Tennis Elbow?

This condition is primarily correlated with overused and over activate muscles of the forearm, known as extensors muscles. These muscles become inflamed, hypertonic, adhesed and tender, in turn creating a tugging and pulling sensation on the insertion, which is a tiny bone of the forearm located at the elbow, which is most commonly where people with this condition feel their pain.

These tense, triggered, and adhesed muscles eventually form nodules within the muscle fibers, known as trigger points. The trigger points will contribute to a viscous cycle of additional pain in the area of the forearm and tension in the muscles, that again augment the pain at the side of the elbow and along the forearm muscles.

Can Tennis Elbow be Treated?

At Integrated Health Solutions, we have formulated a treatment plan that has been proven to be exceptionally successful. Dr. Charbel conducts a comprehensive exam, that not only includes the elbow, but also the shoulder and cervical area. We have found that in many of our patients there is a high correlation of elbow injuries and poor shoulder and upper back mechanics. These poor mechanics create additional and unnecessary demand on the elbow. This thorough exam allows us to have a greater success in the treatment of this condition. Most of our patients experience 80 to 90 percent relief from their symptoms within as few as eight visits.

The treatment plan typically includes soft tissue treatment, physical rehab, and exercises and stretches to the effected area, and to any other areas our exam indicates needs treatment. One proven therapy that we add to our treatment plan that is a key factor, is dry needling.

What is Trigger Point Dry Needling?

Trigger point dry needling is one of the most evidence based, clinically proven therapies that help us expedite the healing process, especially when it is used in conjunction with our other modalities. Trigger point dry needling, also known as medical acupuncture, is very similar to acupuncture, however, during this technique, Dr. Charbel addresses the affected area in addition to points throughout the spine, shoulders, and arms. This will help expedite the healing, and allow better nerve flow and help balance the musculature and eliminate the cause of the pain.

Trigger point dry needling has consistently proven in our clinical setting to have almost a hundred percent success rate in releasing tension, adhesion, and resolving trigger point formations within the muscle fibers and decreasing pain. Once these soft tissue muscles relax, the pulling and tugging on that little bone on your elbow (epicondyle) diminishes, which relieves the inflammation and the pain that you are dealing with.

Trigger point dry needling, when incorporated in our treatment plan allows us to address the cause of the pain and not just mask the symptoms. At Integrated Health Solutions, our approach to treating injuries is comprehensive, and addresses the cause. This is why when a patient complains of lateral epicondilitis, Dr. Charbel examines the entire upper body’s functionality and alignment, which will ensure better usage and faster healing.

Along with dry needling and the other therapies in our treatment plans, Dr. Charbel also reviews the mechanics that the patient utilizes. By enhancing the biomechanics of the different joints involved, stress is reduced on a daily basis. Patients are educated on different exercises and stretches, which will expedite the healing process, and eventually allow the patient to become self-reliant and manage their conditions on their own, and also prevent the injury from reoccurring.

For more inquiries on trigger point dry needling and tennis elbow, please do not hesitate contacting Integrated Health Solutions at 317-449-2020.

About Integrated Health Solutions

Dr. Charbel Harb is a licensed chiropractic physician and the Medical Director of Integrated Health Solutions. Our core belief is that each patient who walks through the doors is a person, not just a medical record or chart. Our greatest pleasure is bringing joy to our patients and helping them to fully embrace life, allowing them to enjoy each day: active, healthy and pain free.

The post Do You Have to Live with Tennis Elbow Pain? appeared first on Integrated Health Solutions.