Active Release Techniques®: The take-home message

Over the years as physiotherapy has evolved, new methods of interventions have been created. Many new equipment and techniques have been invented. While a few of these have strong evidence to prove their effectiveness, the same cannot be said for all of them. One such example is the application of Kinesio Taping. Since its conception in the 1970s, it has been used for a variety of health conditions. In recent years, a large number of RCTs and systematic reviews have been published that claim that Kinesio Taping is not effective in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions (Parreira et al., 2014).

ART® is a technique that has been around since its development in the 1980s. Although I had come across the term quite frequently in the recent days, I realized it wasn’t practiced widely in India. This instilled in me the desire to understand this technique further in detail and study regarding its applicability. Hence, I embarked on this journey to uncover evidence on ART® and share the relevant data in a concise manner.

After sifting through research, I realized that very little data is available on this technique. Studies currently published are of low quality. Very little to no credible data exists to prove its reliability as an intervention for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. There is also no concrete proof to explain the mechanism behind ART®. Good quality studies on ART® need to be conducted in the future to comment on its effectiveness.

Many such methods of intervention exist that are yet to be proven by research regarding their efficacy. Are they all as effective as they claim to be? This question can only be answered by performing thorough research.

Another issue I came across while researching content for this blog was the use of manual therapy itself in physiotherapy practice. As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, research regarding its use and efficacy point in the opposite directions. This can pose a dilemma to any therapist. Studies suggest that manual therapy provides only immediate or short term relief from pain. I believe this window of immediate pain relief can be used to provide an effective treatment protocol. The choice of using manual therapy should be left to the therapist but considering the conflicting evidence that exists currently, it should be used only as an adjunct and not as the sole method of intervention.

Writing this blog made me understand the value and importance of evidence based practice in this day and age. Back in India while studying for my bachelor’s degree we were taught numerous assessment and treatment techniques, some even decades old. But while penning down this blog, I began to question their reliability in current physiotherapy practice.

I strongly believe that it is vital to back the use of any modality or technique with concrete evidence. This can be beneficial in saving resources such as time and money when treating a patient. Evidence based practice should be considered a norm and followed by all clinicians and therapists. It is essential to be informed regarding the efficacy of any method rather than blindly following the crowd.

Now that we are at the end of this expedition, I can say that I have evolved as a physiotherapist myself. Incorporating best available current research into my practice will be my next step forward as a physiotherapist.

To conclude, I would suggest therapists reading this blog that those interested in including ART® in their treatment protocol may do so, but it should be used as an additional therapy and not as the only intervention.

I would like to sincerely thank you for reading my first blog and I hope it provides you with a general idea about ART®. Please do not hesitate to leave your comments or queries below.

Adios!

REFERENCES

Parreira, P., Costa, L., Hespanhol, L. C., Jr, Lopes, A. D., & Costa, L. O. (2014). Current evidence does not support the use of Kinesio Taping in clinical practice: a systematic review. Journal of physiotherapy, 60(1), 31–39.

Image sources:

Figure 1: Johnhain. (2019). Available at: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/mindsets-approaches-knowledge-3988226/ (Accessed on 6th January, 2020).