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Active Release Technique (ART) is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. Excel now has an ART provider at each of its 8 locations.

TEAM PHILLY is already starting to prepare for this year's Broad Street Run on May 2nd. Putting in long miles can hurt your body if you are not properly trained. Team Philly's co-founders, Sarah Walmsley and Gavin McKay appear on the NBC 10! Show to demonstrate a few stretches to help you get prepared.

“There is a big need to promote healthy-living in Philadelphia, and training for a race is a great, motivational way to do that,” says Sarah Walmsley, one of the founders of TEAM PHILLY Race Training and vice president of marketing at Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness. “There are so many Philadelphians who have a desire to train for a distance race, but are unsure where to start. This training program is designed with those individuals in mind.”

TEAM PHILLY Race Training is a comprehensive training program unlike any other in Philadelphia. Created by three local health and wellness companies, Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness, Fusion Cross-Training and Philadelphia Runner, the program combines the expertise of each to create a multi-faceted training program that addresses all aspects of training for distance running. Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness will provide participants with injury prevention techniques and free injury screenings; Fusion Cross-Training will offer runners strength training workouts to help keep runner039#s bodies strong and agile; and Philadelphia Runner will help guide participants to choose the most appropriate gear for their running style and physical needs.

Participants of TEAM PHILLY Race Training will also have the exclusive opportunity to train with elite head coach Ross Martinson, co-owner of Philadelphia Runner, multiple Top 5 Finisher of the Blue Cross Broad Street Run and Boston Marathon participant where he took 23rd place. “Training for distance runs takes dedication, structure and motivation and this unique training program has been created to provide all of these elements,” says Ross Martinson. “Members of TEAM PHILLY Race Training will be involved in the most comprehensive training program available in Philadelphia.

With the specialized expertise of the three partners, beginner and intermediate runners can feel confident that they can accomplish their physical goals in a safe and guided way,” said Gavin McKay, another founder of TEAM PHILLY Race Training and owner of Fusion Cross-Training.

Interested participants can join TEAM PHILLY by visiting their MeetUp.com page (www.meetup.com/TeamPhilly).

The cost for the Blue Cross Broad Street Run training program is $75 and runs from February 27th to race day, Sunday, May 2nd and includes guaranteed race registration, complete training manual, kickoff workshop, weekly coached runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays, weekly running tip emails, discounts to Philadelphia Runner, free week of Fusion Cross-Training sessions, one free sports medicine screening with a local sports medicine physician and a Dri-fit “TEAM PHILLY” jersey.

One third of the profits will benefit Students Run Philly Style, a program that offers marathon training to help young people succeed in life. A kick-off meeting for TEAM PHILLY Race Training will take place on Saturday, February 27th at Lloyd Hall along Kelly Drive at 9AM. For more information visit: www.meetup.com/TeamPhilly or contact Sarah Walmsley at 267-202-1192.

If you're still aching from a weekend of shoveling snow, then you are probably dreading the thought of more on the way. Excel's President was featured on ABC Health Check with some expert tips on easing the aches you have – and preventing new ones.

Delaware valley residents moved mountains of snow this weekend. And today, it's payday for that effort.
Joe Ruhl, P.T., A.T.C., and president of Excel Physical Therapy, says aching muscles first need cold, to reduce inflammation. Ruhl says, “Get a couple of plastic bags, fill them with snow. Go inside. You want to lie on them, and put your feet up on an ottoman.”

He adds, “The snow, it will mold very well to your back. It's a really good way to get the ice right where you want it, and you won't have the ice cubes sticking into your back.” Only use the cold packs for 15 minutes out of an hour. And after 48 hours, switch to warm packs, again for 15 minutes at a time. “Always, after an injury, use ice,” he says.

Ruhl says the people who exercise less are far more prone to injury than those who are fit. To ward off aches next time, Ruhl says you should warm up before you shovel. “Walk up and down the stairs, do jumping jacks, do some calisthenics, some easy things like that,” says Ruhl. He also showed us a way to shovel that's kinder on the back.

“Bend your knees, step into it, lift it, and then place it…right in front of you. Where most of the injuries are going to happen are twisting….the twisting motion is where it's really damaging to the back,” says Ruhl.
Keep the shovel's load close to your body, and don't overload your shovel. Take your time, switch sides periodically, and take breaks.

“Listen to your body,” says Ruhl. You will be more likely to injury yourself, if you are tired. Ruhl says he wasn't an early advocate of the ergonomic shovels, but he is now, after seeing them in action. “They allow you to bend less, in order to get the snow. It helps you lift, while keeping it closer,” he says. And if you are cleaning off your car, use a broom, instead of a shorter-handled brush. “You won't have to reach as far, and that will put less strain on your back,” says Ruhl.

- Contributed by The Associated Press (c) 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Excel Physical Therapist Erica Gerlach, PT, MPT, Cert. MDT, ART,  was featured in the February issue of Advance Magazine speaking about Aquatic therapy and “The Wonders of Water”

Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness, a network of eight physical therapy clinics within the Philadelphia region, remains a leader in advanced patient care by certifying its therapists in the latest, cutting-edge treatment techniques. Excel now has the greatest number of physical therapists on the East Coast certified in the Active Release Technique (ART®), a noninvasive
soft tissue release that eliminates scar tissue.
ART039#s ability to breakdown painful scar tissue has made it the choice treatment method for elite athletes, as it is popular within Olympic and triathlon training regimes. ART is a combination of examination and treatment based on soft tissue release techniques that treat problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Ideal candidates for ART are those with rotator cuff problems, frozen shoulder, “tennis” elbow, back and shoulder pain, shin splints, knee problems or other overuse injuries.

“The ART certification, which is one of the hardest certifications to achieve in physical therapy, allows Excel to remain at the forefront of advanced treatments,” said Joe Ruhl, PT, president and co-founder of Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness. “The unique technique pinpoints abnormal tissue and alleviates its limiting and painful effects through noninvasive specific movements, depth and tension.”

“ART is extremely effective and provides immediate results, often times decreasing pain within two sessions,” said Gregory Masiko, MSPT, Cert. ART, manager of Excel039#s Glen Mills clinic. “ART certified professionals are traditionally few and far between, but Excel continues to advance its therapists and its mission to the forefront of patient care.”

ART certified therapists relieve and manually treat soft tissue damage often caused by scar tissue from overuse injuries. ART can quickly and permanently eliminate scar tissue, which causes reduced range of motion, loss of strength and pain. The technique evaluates the texture, tightness and movement of muscles and treats patients through more than 500 unique moves, or “protocols.”
The ART certification (spine, upper and lower extremities) process requires therapists to learn and apply localized tissue manipulation for a variety of injuries and ailments. Contact and touch, diagnosis, and protocols for the full body are covered through intensive courses and evaluations.

To learn more about ART and the certification, please visit www.activerelease.com.