Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) is a non-invasive, hands-on process focused on evaluating muscle function. The MAT process may include comparing range of motion, testing individual muscles, applying targeted hands-on input or low-intensity isometric contractions, retesting muscle response, and reassessing motion.
At MASJ, MAT is used to support movement and muscle-function goals. It does not diagnose medical conditions or replace care from a physician or licensed physical therapist.
Muscles move bones. If you don’t fix the muscles the body will never be healed.
Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) is a systematic process designed to evaluate and correct muscle imbalances that contribute to chronic pain, injury, and lowered performance levels. It is a biomechanical process designed to improve muscle weakness and its associated pain. MAT began its development by Greg Roskopf in 1985. He questioned why some people would break down and get injured while others could work through the fatigue and improve performance.
Greg began to focus on the biomechanics of the body and how the muscular system handled stress. He realized that most performance and rehabilitation training programs could not be universally applied to broad clients because each individual had different muscular capabilities. It was observed that clients with the most significant muscular imbalances were most likely to respond negatively to protocol-based programs. If muscular imbalances exist, the exercise programs would reinforce their compensation patterns, making the strong muscles stronger while the weak muscles stayed weak magnifying the imbalance.
Learn more about Muscle Activation Technique: https://muscleactivation.com/
Pain management can be a very broad area of treatment. It can consist of medication, therapy, surgery, or rehabilitation. At Muscle Activation San Jose, our approach to pain management is comprehensive. We focus on improving the body’s natural mechanisms rather than masking with foreign medication.
If the tight muscles are stretched, massaged or “released” without addressing the root cause, it can cause more damage and future injury. The body’s protective mechanism and temporary stability are removed leaving the system prone to further injury or shifting problems elsewhere. When we increase the range of motion through other therapies, we must make sure that we give the body its original preferred form of stability – activated muscles.
MAT is an assessment and treatment tool designed to improve muscle function. The basic function of our muscles is to prevent the compression of joints and/or bones. As we age our bodies experience stress overuse and injuries that cause compensations. These compensations create muscular imbalances, joint instabilities, and dysfunctional movement patterns causing bones and joints to compress. Muscle activation treatment discovers what and how your body is compensating and eliminates it so the body can function properly, pain-free.
Most therapies focus on treating the muscles that are tight, tense, or in pain. MAT acknowledges the tension but realizes that tension is the body’s form of protection. When there is a problem with our muscles or joints, the body will tighten up to temporarily stabilize the joint (nature’s splint). Muscle activation treatment addresses the original cause of tension by finding and correcting the problem muscles. Once the root problem is resolved, the tension is no longer necessary. Check out our blog for more in depth about Muscle Activation vs Physical Therapy.
