If you’ve been dealing with chronic pain, tightness, or mobility issues—and nothing seems to work—it might be time to consider a deeper solution: Active Release Technique (ART). This isn’t your typical soft tissue massage or quick chiropractic fix. At Mountain Movement Chiropractic & Natural Health, we use ART as a precision tool—part of a broader, integrated care model that helps you break free from the patterns holding you back.
What Is Active Release Technique (ART)?
Active Release Technique is a manual therapy system designed to locate and break down scar tissue and adhesions in muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. Think of it as a surgical strike for your soft tissue problems—targeted, specific, and highly effective.
Each ART session is customized based on your movement patterns, postural habits, and pain triggers. Unlike generic massage or "rub-it-out" therapy, ART involves the practitioner using their hands to evaluate the texture, tightness, and movement of soft tissues—while guiding the patient through specific movements that activate and release the restricted tissue.
ART at Mountain Movement Center: Part of a Bigger Healing Strategy
At Mountain Movement, we don't treat symptoms in isolation. We view your body like a high-performance machine—your nervous system, fascia, and muscular patterns are deeply connected. ART here isn’t just about pain relief. It’s about rewiring the way your body moves, heals, and performs.
Our approach layers ART within The Day Method—a proprietary system developed by Dr. Michael Day that blends:
- Functional chiropractic
- Movement analysis
- Myofascial therapy
- Neurological resets
- Laser therapy (if needed)
This means that when you receive ART at Mountain Movement, you're not just releasing tension—you’re restoring brain-body communication, optimizing joint function, and setting the foundation for long-term recovery.
What Conditions Does Active Release Technique Treat?
At Mountain Movement Chiropractic & Natural Health, we use Active Release Technique (ART) to address a wide range of stubborn, movement-limiting conditions. Whether you’re an athlete performing at a high level or someone simply trying to live pain-free, ART can help restore your body’s natural motion by targeting the soft tissue adhesions that often go undiagnosed in traditional care models.
Here are some of the most common conditions we treat with ART at our Greenville, SC clinic:
Sciatica
ART can release entrapments where the sciatic nerve is compressed by tight muscles or fascia—providing real relief without relying solely on adjustments or medications.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
By addressing adhesions in the forearm and wrist, ART can improve nerve flow and reduce numbness, tingling, and wrist pain—often preventing the need for surgery.
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
ART helps restore shoulder mobility by breaking up dense adhesions in the rotator cuff and surrounding tissues, jumpstarting range of motion and reducing inflammation.
Tennis Elbow & Golfer’s Elbow
These repetitive strain injuries respond remarkably well to ART, as it precisely targets the scar tissue and overused muscles that are often missed with conventional therapies.
Plantar Fasciitis
We go beyond just foot stretches. ART targets the dense fascia on the bottom of the foot, as well as surrounding structures in the calf and ankle to deliver fast, lasting results.
Neck and Low Back Pain
Often the source of pain is soft tissue dysfunction—not just spinal misalignment. ART works hand-in-hand with our functional chiropractic approach to relieve tension, restore motion, and prevent recurring flare-ups.
Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs)
From keyboard warriors to construction workers, RSIs like tech neck, shoulder impingements, and hip tightness all benefit from ART's precise breakdown of built-up tension and movement faults.
Post-Surgical Scar Tissue
Whether from orthopedic surgeries or C-sections, scar tissue can lead to long-term mobility restrictions. ART is a non-invasive way to gently but effectively release those adhesions and improve tissue glide.
Athletic Injuries – From Weekend Warriors to Pro-Level Care
Dr. Michael Day has worked with professional surfers, LPGA golfers, elite volleyball players, and marathon runners—but our passion is helping everyone move like an athlete. ART helps prevent and recover from muscle strains, joint pain, and overuse injuries faster and more completely.
How Active Release Technique Works
Most people think of pain as something caused by a joint being “out of place.” But in reality, much of the pain and stiffness we see at Mountain Movement Chiropractic & Natural Health stems from what’s happening within your soft tissues—specifically, adhesions.
What Are Soft Tissue Adhesions?
Think of your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia like rubber bands. They’re designed to stretch, glide, and move freely. But when you experience:
- Repetitive motion (typing, lifting, running)
- Injury or trauma
- Poor posture
- Surgery or immobility
…those tissues can get stuck together. This sticky, tangled mess is what we call adhesions or scar tissue. They trap nerves, limit motion, and disrupt blood flow—leading to pain, weakness, and dysfunction.
How ART Breaks the Cycle
Active Release Technique (ART) is a hands-on, movement-based system that locates and releases those adhesions with surgical-like precision.
Here’s how it works:
- Target: We first identify the exact area where the soft tissue has become restricted or “stuck.” This could be a muscle, tendon, ligament, fascia, or even nerve.
- Pressure + Motion: Dr. Michael Day applies specific manual pressure to that area while guiding you through precise movements. You’re an active participant in your own healing.
- Release + Reset + Realign: This combination of tension and motion helps:
- Release the scar tissue
- Reset the neuromuscular patterns (so your brain stops guarding or overcompensating)
- Realign the way your muscles and joints move together
It’s like peeling apart the layers of an onion—layer by layer, we restore normal tissue function and freedom of movement.
What to Expect During Your Active Release Technique Visit
At Mountain Movement Chiropractic & Natural Health, we believe your healing journey should feel clear, empowering, and tailored to you. When you walk through our doors for Active Release Technique (ART), you're not just receiving a treatment—you’re gaining insight into how your body works and how to keep it working better, for life.
Here’s what your ART experience looks like:
Movement-Based Assessment
We begin with our signature Move IQ Exam and Muscle Map—a dynamic process that evaluates:
- Your posture and gait
- How your muscles are firing (or not)
- Where restrictions are forming in your movement patterns
You’ll perform simple movements (like squats, lunges, or arm raises) while we track how your body compensates. This helps us pinpoint exactly where dysfunction starts—and it’s often not where the pain shows up.
Functional Testing
We don’t guess—we test. Whether you're dealing with chronic shoulder pain or plantar fasciitis, we look at:
- Joint stability
- Muscle engagement
- Fascial glide
- Nerve mobility
This data gives us a full picture of what’s holding your body back.
Targeted ART Application
Next, we apply Active Release Technique—using precise hands-on contact while you perform specific movements. This combination breaks up soft tissue adhesions and restores full range of motion. Most patients feel immediate changes: less pain, improved mobility, and “space” in joints that felt locked up.
Post-Care Education
We don’t want you dependent on us forever. After each visit, you’ll walk away with:
- Customized movement drills or stretches
- Clear instructions for home care
- Tips for improving posture and avoiding re-injury
You’ll understand exactly what’s happening in your body—and what you can do to support it.
Ready to Break Free from Pain and Move Freely Again?
For too many people in the Upstate, pain has become part of daily life. You wake up stiff. You avoid activities you used to love. You’ve tried stretches, foam rollers, YouTube exercises, maybe even other chiropractors—but the results never seem to last.
We get it—because we’ve been there, too.
At Mountain Movement Chiropractic & Natural Health, we believe no one should be stuck in a body that doesn’t move the way it was designed to. That’s why we use Active Release Technique (ART) as a cornerstone of our care—not as a one-size-fits-all tool, but as part of an integrative, functional approach that actually creates lasting change.
We’ve helped:
- Athletes return to the field faster and stronger
- Parents pick up their kids again without fear
- Desk workers ditch their chronic neck and shoulder tension
- And everyday people reclaim the freedom to hike, golf, lift, and live without restriction
Ready to feel better, move better, and finally live without pain?
📞 Call us today at (864) 448-2073 📍 Visit us at 1901 Laurens Road Suite E, Greenville, SC 29607
🌐 Book online at mountainmovementcenter.com
🕒 We’re open Tuesday through Friday for in-person care. Virtual and phone consultations available for those farther away.
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