In your Practice
Some practical guidelines from Nicolai van der Lagen
Course leader ART Europe
After passing one of the ART courses, you can start utilizing the technique at your practice first thing on Monday morning. You have probably already thought out which protocols you want to use on your existing patients while doing one of the courses.
1. Use the symptom pattern chart in the manual when patients present their complaints at your clinic. The manual suggests relevant structural- and nerve protocols to evaluate and treat.
2. In every protocol, you will find suggestions for other relevant structures to be evaluated and treated.
3. Contact, touch and tension are key’s to a successful treatment session. Feel for the different structures and how they glide.
4. Start up with a solid contact as the patient (or you) makes the movement. As the movement and tension increases, you should increase and then maintain your contact tension. If you “go to hard” at the beginning, you will not be able to feel the glides nor the direction of the tension. START SOFT, AND THEN INCREASE!
5. A good postural positioning of yourself will increase your success rate at the clinic, and diminish (eliminate) any unfavorable finger/hand load to yourself.
6. You will need to use time with ART in order to be a successful ART provider. USE IT - OR LOOSE IT!
7. Repeat your learning by using the manual and DVD. Look at how Dr. Leahy is positioned at the different protocols regards to contact fingers, arm positioning and body positioning/movements. I have a small TV in my office with an integrated DVD player. One of the ART DVD’s are always running in the back. This enables me to watch a protocol or two every now and then. I also use it to demonstrate the movements to some of my patients.
8. Whenever possible, I suggest that you use your hip, tie or stomach to support your elbow when performing a protocol. If you support your elbow(s) or keep them close to your own body, you can use force through your body instead of with your fingers and hands when increasing and maintaining a good and directed tension.
9. When evaluating or treating structures, try to demonstrate and explain to the patient what movement(s) needs to be done. You will mostly prefer that your patient is doing the movements him-/herself. This will also enable you to use your other hand or finger as a “back up”.
10. No secretes, just facts. Your aim will often be to “create freedom of motion” in the relevant structure(s). When you are treating a peripheral nerve, I suggest that you include specific nerve gliding home exercises. For postural or muscle function, you will need to strengthen or lengthen the relevant structures.
11. Always evaluate and treat the antagonists to your treated structures.
I wish all ART providers in Europe all the best in your practice. If you have any questions or you would like to contact fellow ART providers in Europe, please e-mail me: