My boyfriend told me to do it. Teammates and coaches told me to do it. Some of you bloggers told me it could be worthwhile. Yet I remained skeptical. Don't those guys do weird voodoo to your body? Don't they just want you to become dependent on what they do? Isn't what they do holy unnatural??
So I called to ask my mom. And she also told me that I should do it. So I did it....
...I went to a chiropractor.
After six weeks of physiotherapy, my back pain had changed. Physio had helped with the herniated disc but I could sense that something else was wrong as the pain was sharper and more concentrated. I was getting better at the strengthening exercises prescribed but it wasn't translating into anything else, which was incredibly frustrating.
Enter a highly recommended chiropractor.
Apply Active Release Techniques or ART -- I mean, "ART®".
Begin self-Q&A.
What is ART®?
Contrary to my first reaction, ART is not a complicated way to scam people in pain. According to their website, (and many other plagiarizing sites), ART "treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves." So basically it's about treating soft-tissues.
So what? - I used to think - so does massage therapy! And massage therapists get deep into the tissue, right?........right?.....guys?
What makes ART® different from other soft-tissue treatments?
A key differentiating factor of ART is that it is oriented around your movement and is a "no slide" treatment. The practitioner puts a thumb or fingers on the chosen point of contact where they apply "tension", not "pressure", to the muscle/ligament/tendon in its shortened state. Then the appropriate limb is moved in order to lengthen the muscle through its full range of motion possible, while the point of contact is maintained. This breaks up scar tissue or trigger points. [Sources here.]
So what does "breaking up scar tissue" feel like?
I tried really hard to focus on what it felt like so that I could artfully, accurately, and objectively describe the sensation, but I was too busy grimacing. So the best I can do is: FIRE. All the fire of the burning sun is concentrated in one spot. As you continue to move your limb, it gets hotter.
It's what I imagine the centre of a glob of Japanese honey bees intent on murdering an equally murderous Giant Japanese hornet feels like. [If you want to see nature at its absolute most kick-ass, I highly recommend clicking those links.]
Does ART® work?
Heck yes it does. I am so freaking happy with this experience. Last Thursday I was drilling stand-up-in-closed-guard breaks/passes like a super freak and had no pain. I also did the pigeon pose-like stretch and had gained back almost all of the flexibility I had lost from my back injury. I was rolling around pulling my shin to my chest, grinning to myself like a buffoon!
This was after just two treatments. Holy amazing. Is this ART or is it some sort of wizardry??
Who practices ART®?
The person treating you should probably be legit in your problem area. Practitioners are required to regain certification every year. I'm not sure what this involves; it could be a rip-off, and/or a great way to keep people up to date on research and new practices. Find a provider near you.
All of that being said, there are two issues. One, I don't actually like the "chiropractic" aspect. The adjustment just feels icky. Two, I am still not lifting again. I went to play around with the bar before my third ART treatment. While it was much better than when I tried pre-treatment, some old pain came back during BJJ that night. That was incredibly discouraging. I'm really not sure how to best navigate this issue.
The gym was going fantastically, and now I basically have to start over with New Rules of Lifting. So lame, but at least I am able to train BJJ. Well, as long as this new-fangled wrist injury doesn't force me to rest. Sigh.
Oh BJJ...I honestly thought my body was invincible before I met you. Instead I learned how resilient I am, physically and mentally. Reasonable trade, I suppose!
Apply Active Release Techniques or ART -- I mean, "ART®".
Begin self-Q&A.
What is ART®?
Contrary to my first reaction, ART is not a complicated way to scam people in pain. According to their website, (and many other plagiarizing sites), ART "treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves." So basically it's about treating soft-tissues.
So what? - I used to think - so does massage therapy! And massage therapists get deep into the tissue, right?........right?.....guys?
What makes ART® different from other soft-tissue treatments?
A key differentiating factor of ART is that it is oriented around your movement and is a "no slide" treatment. The practitioner puts a thumb or fingers on the chosen point of contact where they apply "tension", not "pressure", to the muscle/ligament/tendon in its shortened state. Then the appropriate limb is moved in order to lengthen the muscle through its full range of motion possible, while the point of contact is maintained. This breaks up scar tissue or trigger points. [Sources here.]
So what does "breaking up scar tissue" feel like?
I tried really hard to focus on what it felt like so that I could artfully, accurately, and objectively describe the sensation, but I was too busy grimacing. So the best I can do is: FIRE. All the fire of the burning sun is concentrated in one spot. As you continue to move your limb, it gets hotter.
It's what I imagine the centre of a glob of Japanese honey bees intent on murdering an equally murderous Giant Japanese hornet feels like. [If you want to see nature at its absolute most kick-ass, I highly recommend clicking those links.]
Does ART® work?
Heck yes it does. I am so freaking happy with this experience. Last Thursday I was drilling stand-up-in-closed-guard breaks/passes like a super freak and had no pain. I also did the pigeon pose-like stretch and had gained back almost all of the flexibility I had lost from my back injury. I was rolling around pulling my shin to my chest, grinning to myself like a buffoon!
This was after just two treatments. Holy amazing. Is this ART or is it some sort of wizardry??
Who practices ART®?
The person treating you should probably be legit in your problem area. Practitioners are required to regain certification every year. I'm not sure what this involves; it could be a rip-off, and/or a great way to keep people up to date on research and new practices. Find a provider near you.
All of that being said, there are two issues. One, I don't actually like the "chiropractic" aspect. The adjustment just feels icky. Two, I am still not lifting again. I went to play around with the bar before my third ART treatment. While it was much better than when I tried pre-treatment, some old pain came back during BJJ that night. That was incredibly discouraging. I'm really not sure how to best navigate this issue.
The gym was going fantastically, and now I basically have to start over with New Rules of Lifting. So lame, but at least I am able to train BJJ. Well, as long as this new-fangled wrist injury doesn't force me to rest. Sigh.
Oh BJJ...I honestly thought my body was invincible before I met you. Instead I learned how resilient I am, physically and mentally. Reasonable trade, I suppose!
Going through lots of pain in order to (somewhat paradoxically) relieve pain really doesn't appeal. Though then again, I've never had a long-term pain issue: if I did, I'd probably change my mind.
ReplyDeleteBut right now, it would take a lot of convincing for me to willingly submit myself to lots of pain. ;p
haha yes, if you had a physical ailment you would be thinking more like the Japanese honey bee. You happily hone in on the target (hornet/pain), and act (ball of vibrating bees/ART) so that you can live another day (literally/train happily). =)
ReplyDeleteYes, it's painful but it doesn't hurt so much that you don't want to go back. In fact, based on how fabulously it worked, I couldn't wait to be "tortured" again!
This is awesome, really glad you found something that works for you!! I've been going through a somewhat similar yet significantly less serious rehab journey for my knee, so I totally understand your frustration with putting in the work and then it not necessarily translating into the results you were looking for. I hope I never need this ART you speak of (knock on wood), but I'm glad I now know it exists; might even pass the info along to my Mom, as she's also dealing with chronic back pain due to a herniated disk. PS. I LOVE the regular chiropractor, I always feel taller when I leave, even though I'm sure I'm not lol.
ReplyDeleteThe requirement of patience and time is the most frustrating thing about injuries. My body should just work, dammit! :P
ReplyDeleteBoo. Your mom should definitely consider PT, chiro, and/or ART. Having the constant back pain was awful! :( I also think strength training and yoga is important. Some of my back pain has returned; I think because I'm not taking those things seriously enough. This article might be relevant for your momma. If only I could convince my mom that she should lift weights to feel good...
Keep on keeping on with your recovery and thanks for commenting!
I just learned about the benefits of chiros myself...never had any idea what they could do.
ReplyDeleteI had Active Release done on my shoulder, the rotator cuff, after a volleyball injury made my shoulder want to dislocate a bit too much and it worked great!
ReplyDelete