DILLON - He went to Summit Chiropractic & Rehabilitation for a back injury. Shortly after, he did something he hadn't been able to in three years because of knee pain - he skied a full day, said Dr. John Asthalter about this patient.

That was the result of Active Release Technique (ART). As Asthalter, worked on the man, he discovered injuries around his knees, and by using this technique he reduced the pain and helped the patient gain back the range of motion that allowed him to take on the entire day on the mountain.

"He moved here 10 years ago after retiring so he could ski every day. ... (After suffering from injuries) he thought he'd have to move from Summit County," Asthalter said. "You don't get it all the time, but you do get semi-miraculous recovery."

ART is a soft tissue treatment used to restore function and decrease pain by freeing entrapped scar tissues from blunt or cumulative trauma, he explained. In the case of cumulative trauma, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, there are microscopic tears in the soft tissues. And just like with a cut on the skin, scar tissue responds, Asthalter said.

"It forms in 360 degrees, all around the broken tissue ... which can limit the range of motion," he continued, adding that as the tissue shrinks it can create pain.

The more repetition, the more likely a Repetitive Strain Injury becomes, he said. "You see it in cyclists and runners a fair amount ... people who train all the time, firemen, weight lifters, secretaries. The patient base is pretty much anybody."

ART works by putting the muscle in a shortened position and applying pressure which creates heat and reduces the scaring. The result gives back the range of motion and takes away the pain, said Asthalter who is the only ART provider in the county.

Asthalter, a Summit County resident since in 1989, heard about ART when he decided he wanted to become a chiropractor about six years ago. At age 43, he left to go to school at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. There, a doctor practicing ART gave a lecture on the technique.

"That first lecture was it for me. ... It was like all the bells went off and I knew I wanted to do it," Asthalter said.

Immediately, he began working on his certification and he recommended his wife, who had a shoulder injury that had hurt for years, go see the doctor who gave the lecture.

The results were "pretty darn dramatic," said Asthalter who became certified in the technique about five years ago. ART has a high success rate and those trained in the technique often line the sides of professional sports, he continued.

In April 2006, Asthalter graduated, moved back to Summit County and partnered with Dr. Ivo Waerlop, who originally inspired him to go into the field, to open Summit Chiropractic and Rehabilitation in Dillon a year ago, bringing ART to the county.



Lory Pounder can be reached at (970) 668-4628, or at lpounder@summitdaily.com.