Active Release Therapy

I have been going to an ART chiropractor - every couple of weeks for 4 weeks. Though ART alone is probably now enough, I think everything she had done has been helpful and sped things along. Every now and then, she really makes a difference. Friday was one of those days. I had improved things so much on my own that she was able to locate new muscles that I did not know about - serratus, for example - and work on them. When I came back, I was able to move my arm better than I have since July. It's so great!

ART is another form of trigger point therapy. As she worked on my arm, I could understand what she was doing. She holds a muscle firm and makes me move my body in ways that stretch the muscle out. She does it incrementally, so the fibers are stretched a little at a time.

At this point - I've tried three kinds of trigger point therapy - "spray and stetch", ART and massage. Massage is the easiest to do - but the slowest and most painful. "Spray and stretch" is the hardest to do and do right - but it doesn't hurt at all. ART is somewhere in between. I actually would recommend doing them all. Keep working on your arm.

Today, the day after lots of ART, my shoulder is a little sore. Yesterday, though, it was moving very well. It's almost 100% now. She showed my that I was "weak" and really could lift my arm 100% without pain. I was flinching and bending unnecessarily. I have new exercises to build up strength in my back muscles. They are very weak.