MAT - Muscle Activation Techniques with Ryan Phillips

orces we place on our bodies on a daily basis. What Makes MAT® Unique? - While most therapies focus on treating the muscles with tension and/or
pain, MAT gets to the root of pain or injury by addressing muscle weakness rather than muscle tightness. MAT® views muscle tightness as a form of protection in the body. Weak or inhibited muscles can create
the need for other muscles to tighten up in order to help stabilize the joints. The goal of MAT® is to
identify the inhibited or weak muscles that are creating a protective response and then ‘jumpstart’ these
muscles in order to improve their contractile capability. If the tight muscles are stretched or massaged—
without addressing the root cause, the inhibited or weak muscle—then we may have violated the body’s
protective mechanism. We must know that when we increase range of motion through modalities like
stretching or massage, that there is also stability through that increased range. MAT® provides the checks
and balances system to make sure that this happens. That is why MAT® is a great adjunct to all forms of
exercise and therapy. Muscle inhibition has to do with the impaired communication between the
brain and a muscle. It refers to the inability of a muscle to contract fully on demand. This inhibition is a
neurological response and manifests particularly at the extreme ranges of motion – when the muscle is
contracted fully. A muscle may have strength at the mid-range, but be very weak when moved into a
shortened position; this creates instability at the joint. When the body senses instability, other muscles
tighten up as a form of protection. When a muscle has been over stressed, the result is altered feedback
from the nervous system. This causes a reduced capability for the muscle to contract, from the instability
through full physiological range. The end result is an inability for the muscles to properly stabilize joints. What Causes Muscle Inhibition or Weakness? Factors such as trauma, stress, or overuse can
contribute to a muscle becoming inhibited. When you exercise, there is a period of exertion and then
recovery. It is normal to feel fatigue. When there is trauma, stress or overuse, the muscle may not recover
until properly rested. If this is habitual, (i.e. - sitting at the computer in an ergonomically unsound position
for 12 hours per day – every day for many years) then the result can be muscle inhibition or neurological
weakness. The brain detects stress and sends a message to basically ‘switch off’ the overused muscle. The opposite muscle (antagonist) tightens up to protect the body from moving into a position of weakness
or vulnerability. A sudden trauma will also cause a muscle to become inhibited, such as slipping on ice
and moving into an extreme range of motion suddenly. What is the Goal of MAT®? The first goal of MAT® is to determine whether or not specific muscles that
support a joint have the proper neurological input necessary to perform its function. Whether acting as a
prime mover, synergist or stabilizer, each muscle must be capable of performing its function as forces are
being placed on a joint. If a muscle does not have proper proprioceptive input, then it will not be able to
perform its function efficiently and this leads to positions of vulnerability. The goal of the MAT® evaluation
process is to find out where the body displays these positions of vulnerability or weakness. After identifying these areas of protection, the second goal is to attempt to improve mobility and stability
of the joint. This is a process of increasing the proprioceptive input and the ability of the muscles to
contract on demand when placed in a shortened position. The third goal of MAT® is to provide a checks
and balances system to make sure that any time joint range of motion is increased (mobility) that there is
proprioceptive input (stability) through the new found motion. What Does Muscle Activation Mean? – Muscle activation refers to the process of ‘jumpstarting’ the
muscle. The goal of Muscle Activation Techniques is to identify the position of weakness and the muscles
that are inhibited, and then to activate these muscles – basically switch them back on. For a more
simplistic approach to understand muscle function, compare the body to a car. The initiation of a muscle
contraction occurs similarly to the way a battery initiates the starting of a car. Both rely on connections
that transfer electrical energy to produce a reaction. The nerves that run from the spinal cord to the
muscle are just like the cables that run from the ignition to the battery. When the key is turned in the
ignition, the impulses transfer through the cables to the battery allowing the car to start. Similarly, in the
body, when a message is sent from the brain, the input is transferred through the nerves to the muscles
creating muscle contraction. Each muscle is independently innervated; therefore it can be seen as having
many batteries, each connected by its own independent cables. When the body is functioning properly,
with all batteries connected, each muscle will contract on demand and the body will function very
efficiently. Many times, due to factors such as stress, trauma or overuse, the neurological connections may become
altered, creating a reaction in the body similar to that of loose battery cables in your car. When the brain
sends a message for a muscle to contract, the muscle does not respond immediately, creating increased
demand on other muscles to perform the desired movement. The result becomes what we know as
compensation. Over time, these compensation patterns create altered alignment in the joint, leading to
joint instability and abnormal wear on the joint surfaces. The end result becomes pain and eventually
osteoarthritis. The progressive degeneration has been correlated with aging. If identified and properly
addressed, it does not have to occur. What Affect Can MAT Have On Arthritis and the Aging Process? MAT® can slow down or even
reverse the aging process. If it is recognized that muscles are designed to stabilize and support the joints
naturally; it must be understood that arthritic conditions and joint instability can be helped or prevented
when muscles are prepared to function properly. All that is needed is to create proper connections
between the brain and the muscles. Muscle Activation Techniques does this. It provides the ability for the
body to function the way that it was designed to function. Just like with a dead battery, the muscles must
be jumpstarted and the cables must be tightened before the muscle will function properly. In simplistic
terms, through MAT®, muscles that have improper neurological connections are identified, then
jumpstarted; creating the ability for the muscles to stabilize the joints and reduce joint stresses that lead
to arthritic conditions. That is when the body becomes efficient and the related aches and pains are
deterred. What are the Symptoms of Muscle Inhibition and How Do I Know If I Have a ‘Weak’ Muscle? The first and major symptom is that something does not feel ‘right’ or is not working properly. This can
manifest as joint pain, muscle tension or instability of a joint: tight hamstrings, tight lower back, shin
splints, aching knees, a hyper-extending joint—these are signs of probable muscle inhibition. What About Strength Training and Stretching or Even Yoga. Can’t These Correct Inhibited
Muscles? The answer is that it depends. If you have muscles that have been inhibited due to prolonged
stress or sudden trauma, then moving into a position of vulnerability (meaning a position that contracts
the inhibited muscle) will usually result in other muscles taking over the job of the inhibited muscles. This
leads to the weak staying weak and the strong getting stronger. People tend to mask their weakness by
developing strength in compensatory muscles. Over time, this can be dangerous as these compensatory
muscles are being asked to do jobs that they are not ideally designed for. If the stress that created the
weakness in the prime movers to begin with continued (habitual posture or repetitive motion – i.e. -
ergonomically unsound work station, golf swing, etc.), then it is likely that the synergistic muscles will
become inhibited over time. This can lead to joint deterioration and chronic problems like tendonitis and
arthritis. The best course of action is to properly assess which specific muscles are inhibited and then to
take a corrective course of action. MAT® is a checks and balances system that will allow you to determine
which postures, exercises, and activities involve positions of vulnerability. It will then give you the tools to
correct muscle inhibition so that you can move back into these postures, exercises and activities more
safely—from a position of strength. What if I am an Athlete, Will MAT® Help Improve my Performance and Keep Me Healthy? MAT® is a
technique that not only helps athletes to recover from injuries quickly, but also helps them prevent injuries
from happening in the first place. MAT® prepares the body to be more efficient in training and athletic
performance. In order to reach optimal performance capabilities, an athlete is forced to train at a high
level of intensity. Because of this, there is always the potential for injury. Some athletes may be
predisposed to an injury, due to them having muscular imbalances that place increased stress on their
joints and tissues. These athletes can be an injury waiting to happen. When they train at a high level, the
imbalances are magnified, and the body can no longer handle the stress. It eventually breaks down. It is
like driving a car with bad alignment. The faster you drive it, the faster the tires are going to wear out. The
body functions the same way. If an athlete has muscular imbalances, the abnormal alignment results in
increased stress on the joints and muscles. When an athlete trains at a high level of intensity, the
stresses are magnified and injuries occur. The goal of MAT® is to correct the problem before an injury
occurs. And injury is just a ‘symptom’ of a deeper issue. The symptom is not the problem. It is a result of
the overstressing of an area of the body, due to muscular imbalances. Conventional therapy will typically
treat the symptom. This means that the cause of the injury is not being addressed. The end result is that
the athlete does not heal, or they go on to experience a more severe injury. MAT® not only helps to prevent injuries, but it can also speed up the rehabilitation process. By balancing
the muscular system, MAT® provides an improved environment for healing. This allows the athlete to
return to participation faster. The end result is improved athletic capabilities. “The benefit of MAT® is that
the changes can be immediate” says Greg Roskopf, the founder and developer of MAT®. “A professional
baseball pitcher increased his throwing velocity by 10 mph, immediately following an MAT® session. This
was due to improved mechanics combined with pain free motion. We see these types of changes every
day.”