Active Release Technique In San Ramon, CA
Find Lasting Relief with Active Release Technique in San Ramon, CA
Do movements like reaching, bending, or exercising leave you wincing in pain? Have injuries, overuse, or the aches and pains of daily life started to add up and impact your mobility? You don’t have to live with stiffness, swelling, and nagging discomfort. At Ironhorse PT & Pilates, our experienced physical therapists specialize in Active Release Technique (ART)—an innovative hands-on treatment that can bring you lasting relief.
A Proven Way to “Unstick” Muscles and Restore Mobility
If you’re an athlete, weekend warrior, or simply looking to regain flexibility for everyday activities, ART could be the answer. This patented soft tissue system combines precisely applied manual pressure with specific patient motions to break up adhesions and scar tissue.
Over 500 studies validate the effectiveness of ART for:
- Reducing muscle and joint pain
- Restoring normal nerve function
- Increasing range of motion
- Releasing tension to enhance athletic performance
- Promoting faster recovery from injury
Unlike traditional physical therapy or massage, ART pinpoints restricted areas in muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. Using expert palpation skills and feedback from patients on sensation and comfort levels, our therapists apply pressure while gently moving the affected body parts in various directions. This allows us to feel for and address abnormal tissues.
It’s like a deep tissue massage crossed with mobilization movements. We break up adhesions, relieve nerve entrapments, and restore healthy muscle motion. Patients often describe the sensation as intensely relieving. It’s extremely effective at eliminating the underlying causes of nagging aches, pains, and mobility limitations.
Who Benefits From Active Release Technique in San Ramon, CA?
ART is a game changer for anyone dealing with:
- Chronic neck, back, knee, shoulder, or other joint pain
- Limited flexibility due to past injuries and scar tissue
- Frequent headaches or nerve irritation
- Difficulty recovering from strains, sprains, or surgery
- Athletic performance plateaus from muscle tightness
- Discomfort that anti-inflammatories and rest fail to resolve
Whether you’re 18 or 80, if the activities you love—from gym sessions to playing with grandkids—are hindered by nagging issues in your muscles and joints, ART could help you find relief.
What Sets Ironhorse PT & Pilates Apart?
Our therapists offer unparalleled expertise using ART to alleviate complex, postoperative, occupational, and sports injuries. What makes our clinic special?
- Advanced Certifications and Ongoing Training – Our therapists complete rigorous ART certification and participate in continuingeducation to hone their skills —you’re in elite hands.
- Holistic, Patient-Centric Care – We personalize ART and tailor exercise based on individual needs, not generic injury patterns. This ensures you receive targeted, effective treatment.
Proven Results – The majority of our patients report a significant decrease in pain and improved mobility within 3-6 ART sessions. Most experience increased flexibility and lasting benefits through combining ART with self-care strategies. - Answers to Your Top Active Release Technique Questions
Does ART actually work?
Absolutely. Multiple peer-reviewed studies validate ART’s effectiveness. A 2022 clinical trial found just 4-6 treatments significantly reduced shoulder pain and disability. ART also demonstrates positive outcomes for relieving plantar fasciitis, increasing hip mobility, and easing chronic neck dysfunction.
How long does ART take to work?
Patients often report an immediate decrease in discomfort and effortless movement following initial sessions. As we eliminate tissue restrictions over 3-6 visits, range of motion progressively improves, pain diminishes, and function restores. A 2004 study showed range of motion increased by over 100% after just 1-3 ART treatments. Though the exact number of sessions needed varies per individual, most patients achieve optimal results within 6 visits. We customize long-term self-care plans to help sustain gains.
Will ART hurt or have side effects?
Some mild soreness can occur after initial treatments from releasing tension in tissues not used to moving freely. This temporary response is normal. ART should never cause injury or require extended recovery periods between sessions.
Meet Your Ironhorse PT & Pilates ART Specialists
Stacey Johnston, PT, MSPT, boasts advanced certifications and experience to deliver quality Active Release Technique services for you. They take pride in helping people overcome injuries to return to their normal way of living.
About the Author
Victoria Liu puts patients at the forefront of their care. With years of experience, They guide individuals towards achieving their best selves. At Ironhorse PT & Pilates in San Ramon, CA, Victoria Liu crafts individualized plans using cutting-edge techniques, empowering patients to overcome limitations and thrive.
Melanie Mercado
The entire team at Ironhorse PT are incredible. I came in wanting to run a marathon and they have holistically changed and assessed all the areas I should improve on to not only be able to run, but also be able to carry myself with strength and mobility. They changed my mind as to what is needed to support my own body mechanics, but also be realistic and safe in accomplishing my goals. I absolutely love working with Stacey and Victoria and hope to continue working with both of them going forward!!!
Tim Swinford
My Kaiser surgeons were spectacular!! BUT after that, they told me I would be back to normal in six months, BUT if it was not for Ironhorse Physical Therapy, I would probably still be walking with a cane, over a year afterwards. I had a rare abdominal surgery and I knew I needed an athlete to set a high standard for my recovery and I got that at Ironhorse Physical Therapy and one of my sons had some shoulder difficulty and they were able to correct him and teach him about what was going on with his body.