Active-release technique, or ART®, is a form of myofascial therapy used in pain management that involves soft-tissue manipulation. ART has the expressed goal of restoring optimal texture, motion, and function of the soft tissue while releasing entrapped nerves or blood vessels. An injury to a soft-tissue structure commonly causes the muscle to shorten to guard or protect the area. A clinician who is performing ART makes a soft contact with one hand on the patient just distal to the injured area while the other hand develops tension on the soft tissue. While the contact tension is maintained, the structure is lengthened using an "active motion." During the motion, the lesion is palpated and the physical contact with the patient is changed or moved slightly in order to concentrate the tension in the appropriate tissue (Swann, et al).