BALANCE

The ART of Healing Beyond a normal massage, a new technique works magic on the toughest knots. By JANE LUER

When people with soft-tissue injuries are told their pain, numbness, stiffness or tingling is chronic, they try a variety of treatments only to further confirm the diagnosis. But things are looking up for Neapolitans, now that therapists in the region have discovered and embraced a method that’s been gaining traction across the country—the Active Release Technique (ART). Our daily routines can lead to the overuse of certain muscles, causing the body to produce scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue builds up, muscles become weaker and shorter, and nerves become trapped, making it very difficult to move, no less remain active. In an ART session, the therapist identifies the trouble spots with scar tissue build-up and then uses a very specific set of motions and pressure to break apart the scar tissue and increase blood flow and consequently nutrition to the area. “The beauty of the technique is that it works well, and it works quickly,” says Stephen Black, an assistant professor of physical therapy at Florida Gulf Coast University. That’s because ART’s protocols target the source of the problem—and when used in conjunction with exercise programs, patients can see their symptoms eliminated in three to five visits. Not bad, considering common problems like nagging shoulder pain, backaches, knee stiffness, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome fall under its scope.

RESOURCES: To put your body back in motion, contact one of these ART-certified providers in Southwest Florida: n S  tephen

Black, Florida Gulf Coast University (239-590-1281)

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Petersen, Naples Massage & Neuromuscular (239-325-9410)

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Fortunato, Elite Physical Therapy (239-653-9586)

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Gilliam, Orthopedic Center of Florida (239-482-2663)

For Kicks

Green News…

Golf pro to the pros Rick Smith has moved his teaching academy from Tiburón Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples to Bonita Springs’ Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa’s Raptor Bay Golf Club. The same roster of lessons and intensive clinics will be offered to guests, members and the general public. Meanwhile, the new kid on the fairway at Tiburón is the TOURAcademy (affiliated with the PGA Tour). It will have lessons along with programs like junior camps and after-school clinics. (ricksmith.com; touracademy.com) 176  NAPLES ILLUSTRATED

The Greater Naples YMCA gets a running start on fundraising in 2013 with its Sneaker Ball February 2, an appropriately unstuffy active nighttime extravaganza with four bands and dancing, where sporting shoes, not sportswear, are required. (ymcapalms.org)