MAT utilizes manual muscle testing in order to determine if muscles are inhibited and if they need to be activated.
When it has been determined through muscle testing that a muscle is inhibited, the next step in the MAT process is to activate those muscles through either muscle specific isometric contractions or manual palpation at the origin and insertion of the associated muscle.
Once this activation technique has been performed, then the MAT practitioner will retest the associated muscle in order to determine if the activation technique actually worked. This form of checks and balances is the only way to really determine if a muscle is inhibited, then if inhibited, it enables the practitioner to determine if the activation technique worked
When there is muscle inhibition, where muscles are unable to contract efficiently, the associated muscles are unable to contract through their full Range Of Motion (ROM). Due to this, the opposite muscles demonstrate a greater amount of tension, therefore showing up as being “tight”. Since muscle tightness is a sign of muscle weakness, MAT uses specific ROM assessments in order to determine where muscle weaknesses exist.
MAT is a systematic process that utilizes a checks and balances system for evaluating an individual’s ability to develop efficient muscle contraction(s) by first comparing left and right-side range of motion through a specific movement pattern.
Given that the human body is designed to be symmetrical, if a motion is determined to be asymmetrical (one limb has a greater range of motion than the opposite limb) then we know that one or more muscles that moves the less mobile limb into that movement pattern has a potentially weakened neuromuscular connection.
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