FAQs about MAT (Part 1)

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How does MAT dif­fer from tra­di­tional exer­cise or other forms of therapy?

MAT is not a form of ther­apy; it is a form of exer­cise.  This is crit­i­cal to under­stand.  Tra­di­tion­ally, phys­i­cal ther­apy focuses on the big, macro view of reha­bil­i­ta­tion whereas MAT takes a very zoomed-in approach.  In fact, while phys­i­cal ther­apy will often con­cern itself with big move­ments of joints, MAT is con­cerned with spe­cific mus­cle fibers.  Phys­i­cal ther­apy is often there to relieve the pain, dis­com­fort, or other symp­toms of an injury whereas MAT treats nei­ther pain nor symp­toms, but rather attacks the root cause of what may be lead­ing to said pain and symptoms.

With tra­di­tional exer­cise, you are weaker when you fin­ish your train­ing or work­out than when you began it.  How­ever, with MAT, you fin­ish stronger than when you started, as is demon­strated by the MAT posi­tion tests used through­out the ses­sion.  This makes MAT a great pre­cur­sor to both exer­cise and ther­apy as you will be more pre­pared for, and there­fore will receive greater ben­e­fit from, both expe­ri­ences after an MAT session.

How is MAT different from**:

--Chiropractic work?

MAT is a great adjunct to chiropractic work.  Depending on the doctor, chiropractic work may focus on more of the mobilization of joints, specifically the spinal facets.  Comparatively, MAT focuses on stabilizing joints via improving the contractile capabilities of the muscle fibers that control the joints.  From the MAT viewpoint, once stabilization of a joint is achieved via improved muscular contraction and control/management of the joint, mobility of that joint may improve, as well.

--Massage?

Depending on the type of massage, this modality tends to lean towards relieving muscle tightness by pushing through the belly of the muscles fibers (right through the middle).  The MAT thought process is that muscle tightness is secondary to muscle weakness, which means we believe once the tension producing capabilities are restored to the muscle fibers, the feeling of tightness felt elsewhere in the body may dissipate.  We believe muscle tightness is a specifically orchestrated event put in place by the brain in order to intentionally limit a joint's range of motion in order to protect yourself from injury.  Additionally, with MAT we are pressing right where the muscle fibers insert into the bones.  This means we are not feeling for tightness or tissue quality but rather for the bone itself.

--Passive stretching?

Passive stretching tends to force a limb to move further around a joint than it could move on its own.  Essentially, this is having somebody else impose their will onto your body under the notion that whatever your brain has decided was enough range of motion for you at that joint is incorrect and needs to be "fixed".  Comparatively, MAT simply provides the brain with additional options than it currently has to complete a task.  Your brain decides whether it wants to use those specific muscles to control the joint.  Nothing is forced upon your body.

--ART?

Granted, I do not know much at all about ART, but from what I have gathered from others as well an insinuated from the name, it seems that this modality is attempting to release adhesions between (or within? I'm not sure) the muscle(s), that may or may not be there in the first place but allegedly can be felt by the practitioner.  It is attempting to release over-active tissue whereas MAT is attempting to stimulate under-active tissue.

**Note:  All of these modalities may be perfectly appropriate for an individual given their current setting, goals, and structural and neuromuscular capabilities.  I am by no means trying in insinuate that one modality is better or worse than another, but rather just trying to give a comparison between them given my limited knowledge of most other modalities.

How long does the process take?

This is completely specific to the individual.  Lifestyle factors and medical history need to be thoroughly taken into consideration throughout the process.  Even then, figuring out what is actually causing the muscular inhibition is often very challenging.  Is it a pec muscle that is causing the dysfunction in the hip?  Is it a nerve-root issue where muscles that are innervated by the same spinal level are causing each other to become inhibited?  Is it the shoes you are wearing?  Your diet?  Your stress at work?  Did you fall on your wrist a few years back and forget to put that on your client intake because it didn't require any medical attention but now your knee is bugging you because of that?  All of these questions and more need to be looked at and thought through throughout the process.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of FAQ's about MAT!

What other questions do you have about Muscle Activation Techniques™?  Drop a comment below so I can address them in future posts!

Inter­ested in find­ing out more? Check out the “Mus­cle Acti­va­tion Tech­niques™” page.
Inter­ested in set­ting up an assess­ment time or dis­cussing this sub­ject fur­ther? E-mail Char­lie at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Your body.  Your training.

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