THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUES®
Dr. P. Michael Leahy began to develop ART in the 1980s while working with elite athletes. Before becoming a chiropractor in 1984, he had pursued engineering in the Air Force; as he studied athletes’ movement, he realized he could combine his engineering acumen with his chiropractic knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics to quickly treat their soft tissue disorders and get them back to peak performance as quickly as possible.
In 1988, Dr. Leahy’s colleagues convinced him to hold a seminar to teach his groundbreaking treatment method. After the initial seminar overflowed with interested physicians, he quickly began to formalize a training method for ART. Today, more than 10,000 providers have been trained in Dr. Leahy’s ever-evolving techniques, transforming the lives of more than 100 million people worldwide. Now, our expanded European seminar program promises to deliver the power of ART to an even greater audience.
UPPER EXTREMITY LEVEL 1
In this seminar, you’ll learn how to treat common musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, and shoulder injuries. The seminar covers approximately 59 protocols, as well as instruction in anatomy and palpation. No prerequisites are required. (For some neck and shoulder problems, the ART Spine Seminar protocols are necessary to completely resolve the injury.)
UPPER EXTREMITY LEVEL 2
Building on Level 1, which focuses primarily on individual anatomic structures, you’ll learn advanced techniques to treat and restore motion between structures to optimize movement. You’ll learn to treat shoulder impingement syndrome and other shoulder dysfunctions, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and repetitive stress syndromes, and more. (For some neck and shoulder problems, you might need protocols from the ART Spine seminars.) This seminar includes approximately 84 protocols, each with palpation steps to increase your accuracy and effectiveness, as well as instruction in anatomy. Certification in Upper Extremity Level 1 is a prerequisite for this seminar.
LOWER EXTREMITY LEVEL 1
In this seminar, you’ll learn how to treat common musculoskeletal disorders from the hip to the toes, including trochanteric bursitis, iliotibial band syndrome, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and plantar fasciitis. (For lower back and hip problems, it may be beneficial also to take the ART Spine Seminar.) This seminar includes approximately 62 protocols, as well as instruction in anatomy and palpation. No prerequisites are required.
LOWER EXTREMITY LEVEL 2
Building on your Level 1 experience, you’ll master new ART techniques to learn to treat soft-tissue complaints from the hip down. While the emphasis for the Level 1 protocols is on treatment of individual structures, the Level 2 seminar focuses on restoring normal relative motion between structures to optimize the body’s movement patterns. (For lower back and hip problems, it may be beneficial to take the ART Spine Seminar.) This advanced seminar includes approximately 73 protocols, each with palpation steps, as well as instruction in anatomy. Certification in Lower Extremity Level 1 is a prerequisite for this seminar.
SPINE LEVEL 1
Learn to treat common soft-tissue disorders and associated articulations of the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spine. This seminar covers approximately 48 protocols as well as instruction in anatomy and palpation. No prerequisites are required to take this seminar; however, with many spine problems, it may be necessary to treat both the upper and lower extremities in order to fully resolve the patient’s specific issue.
SPINE LEVEL 2
While the Level 1 Spine seminar focuses on treating each individual structure associated with the spine, the Level 2 seminar builds on your Level 1 experience, teaching you to restore relative motion between spinal structures to improve spinal movement. This advanced seminar includes approximately 75 protocols, each with palpation steps, as well as instruction in anatomy. (With many spine problems, it may be necessary also to treat both the upper and lower extremities.) Certification in Spine Level 1 is a prerequisite for this seminar.
FULL BODY
This seminar includes all three level-one seminars. It applies to all practices, whether they are sports-oriented or geared towards activities of daily living. The Full-Body Seminar combines everything in the Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, and Spine seminars: approximately 60 upper extremity protocols, 48 spine protocols, and 62 lower extremity protocols. You can learn more by reading the descriptions of those seminars (above).
NERVE
In this seminar, you’ll learn to treat terminal, local, and long-tract nerve entrapments throughout the body to address
a variety of conditions, including occipital neuralgia, thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, and more. This seminar contains approximately 90 protocols, as well as anatomy, palpation, and treatment steps. The updated long-tract nerve seminar is included as part of this course.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Not sure if an ART seminar is right for you, what to expect, or where to begin? Below we’ve provided the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. If you have further questions, please send us an email.
Who can take an ART seminar?
In order to participate in an Active Release Technique Soft-Tissue Management training seminar, you must be a licensed health care professional with soft-tissue malpractice insurance. (In other words, you must be licensed/certified to perform soft tissue treatment on patients/clients.) In addition, you must have an advanced foundational understanding of anatomy and physiology.
Some areas of accepted certifications include chiropractors; medical and osteopathic doctors; physical and occupational therapists and assistants; physiotherapists; massage therapists; certified athletic trainers; and students working towards any of these certifications (proof of enrollment is required). Please email us at awood@activereleaseeur.com if you have a question regarding any certifications not listed here.
Students
To be eligible to receive the student rate for our seminars, you must provide proof of enrollment in the educational institution. In addition, you may receive the student discount only if you are pursuing your first degree in a healthcare field in which you can become licensed to treat soft-tissue conditions/injuries. This discount will apply for any ART seminars you enroll in and complete up to six months after your graduation or certification date. If a venue is changed to a date outside of that timeframe, we will ask for the difference in cost. Please scan and email your form of student verification to awood@activereleaseeur.com as soon as possible to ensure your order is processed correctly.
Which disciplines can benefit from taking ART seminars?
Seminars are designed for practitioners who treat or manage soft-tissue injuries and conditions. There is immediate clinical application for chiropractors, physicians, osteopaths, massage therapists, physical and occupational therapists, and certified athletic trainers. In order to receive the maximum benefit from these seminars, you should have an advanced understanding of anatomy and physiology.
What can you expect at an ART seminar?
ART treatments utilize manual techniques to move tissues and joints while under tension. The system allows for treatment of injured individual tissues, as well as restoration of normal relative motion between the tissues. Each seminar emphasizes the manipulation of the neuromusculoskeletal system to diagnose and correct alterations in tissue texture, tension, movement, and function within and between tissues. Evaluation and treatment occur simultaneously. All treatments protocols are designed to correct soft-tissue and movement abnormalities, assist you with articular adjustments, and ultimately the shorten treatment regimens required to resolve a case.
A deep understanding of human anatomy and physiology is vital to learning and effectively practicing ART. To prepare for the seminar, we strongly recommend that you take time prior to the seminar to study the provided materials and watch the instructional videos. During each seminar, the first two or three days are educational days (80% hands-on work and 20% lecture). Instructors will present each protocol and then break attendees into small groups to practice and answer questions. The practical examination will take place on Sunday morning. Upon passing the practical exam, you will be a Certified ART Provider.
Where do I begin?
You can begin with Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, or Spine Level 1 seminars. We have no preference which core seminar you start with. Most attendees choose their first seminar by where it is being offered, since travel is most often a consideration. Alternately, you might choose to begin with a seminar that will provide the greatest immediate benefit to your practice.
Our seminars are designed to help students learn ART protocols with a combination of hands-on practice textbook study, and lecture. You will also be expected to study the provided written and video materials prior to attending the seminar. While at the seminar, 80% of each seminar will be devoted to hands-on practice under the guidance of skilled ART instructors, with the remaining 20% of instruction delivered via lecture. Each seminar culminates in a practical exam. We require you to pass with a minimum proficiency to become “Certified.”
What are the objectives of each seminar?
Seminar objectives are stated in measurable and behavioral terms as correlated to Bloom’s Taxonomy:
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Locates correct structures when asked, based on anatomical names (Knowledge)
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Selects the appropriate protocol treatment for the structure identified as having an issue (Knowledge)
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Explains the patient movement required to shorten and lengthen the structure of interest (Comprehension)
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Restates the Law of Repetitive Motion and identifies implications for musculoskeletal disorders (Comprehension)
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Applies the learned contact, tension, and motion of a protocol to a structure on an instructor who is imitating a patient (Application)
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Produces the full structural movement required to effectively resolve issues with muscle or tissues (Application)
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Correctly differentiates healthy versus unhealthy tissue based on biomechanical principles using palpation (Analysis)
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Compares the movement and feel of healthy versus unhealthy tissue to detect problems with muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, and nerves within the human anatomical system (Analysis)
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Gives an example of a clinical presentation expected for an issue for a particular protocol structure (Synthesis)
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Develops an effective treatment plan for patients incorporating Active Release Techniques integrated with past training (Synthesis)
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Recommends correct protocol both for structure involved as well as location of unhealthy tissue within the structure (Evaluation)
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Provides peer-review critique to colleagues who are demonstrating protocol application (Evaluation)
What is the ARTman® app?
ARTman is our proprietary app that provides you with convenient access to your manual(s) and protocol videos via your compatible iPad device.* For even greater learning power, the app links to the Visible Body interactive anatomy app.
Upon registering and paying for your desired seminar, you’ll gain access to the following valuable ARTman content and functionality:
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Every manual for every seminar you’ve registered for or already taken.
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Every video for every seminar you’ve registered for or already taken.
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Symptom pattern charts for Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, and Spine seminars.
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The ability to take and store notes linked to a particular protocol.
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Integrated Visible Body, allowing seamless movement between ARTman and the anatomy app.
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Immediate access to new seminars once your payment is processed.
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The latest content additions, updates, and changes, so you’ll always have the most current version of your seminar materials.
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The ability to work offline in locations where Wi-Fi is not available.
* To access the full functionality of ARTman, your iPad must not be more than
3 years old, and a minimum of 30GB of free space is required for download.
Click here to see the Cancellation Policy.
ART Europe reserves the right to cancel a seminar no later than one month before the publicized seminar date if the class size is too small. Check with seminar administrator (info@activereleaseeur.com) before making non-refundable trip plans to ensure no changes have occurred.
Also, do not make travel arrangements until you receive confirmation you are in the course.