F&Q's to your every inquiry
What do I wear to an MAT session?
Wear something that you are comfortable in that you can also move in. MAT is an interactive session and requires you to be able to move without restrictions coming from your clothing. The typical outfit is a t-shirt and sweats. Jeans are discouraged along with belts. You will be asked to take your shoes off for the session as well, so shoe choice is your preference.
What conditions does MAT help with?
Any where there is a joint, MAT can help. Not because MAT deals directly with joints, but because MAT focuses on the tissues that move and manipulate those joints: muscles. When we experience stress, trauma, and overuse, muscle contractile efficiency is impacted. When a muscle is out for the count, so to speak, other muscles will pick up the slack as a form d compensation. However, because of this compensation extra force can be placed on the joints and those compensatory muscles may strain and get tight themselves due to the extra load that they’ve picked up. Chronically, and over time, this compensation and adapted movement pattern can manifest itself into many different conditions such as- but not limited to:
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-plantar fasciitis
-chronic lower back pain
-shin splints
-chronic shoulder dislocations
-tennis or golfer’s elbow
-arthritis
-sciatica
Does MAT help with Arthritis?
Yes it does! When certain muscles are not pulling their own weight, a by product of compensation is undue force being placed onto joints as other muscles attempt to do the job of the missing muscle. Arthritis is characterized by chronic inflammation in joint capsules. Inefficient muscle contractility can be a contributor to that inflammation. And even so, inflammation itself affects muscle contractile efficiency and can cause muscles to be further inhibited from doing their job- and the condition becomes a downward spiral. By reactivating muscles inappropriate wear and tear on joints can decrease, thus decreasing the inflammation of the joint capsule itself and diminishing the inflammatory effect on other muscles around the joint.
How can you know if your pain is something that MAT can help with?
MAT is an assessment in range of motion and comparing the right side to the left and vice versa, seeking out asymmetrical range of motion. If you recognize that you have asymmetry in your range of motion that is a strong indication that you need an MAT session.
Another important thing to note is that pain is like a fire alarm. It tells you that something is wrong, but not necessarily where. Often over compensating muscles are likely to bark back at us, but they aren’t the issue, the de-activated muscle that it is compensating for is the true issue. Like a fire alarm, which goes off only after the fire has already been burning, pain indicates that something is awry, but the fire maybe located elsewhere in the house. An MAT specialist is a fire fighter. And a fire fighter worth its salt is not just going to come in and turn off the fire alarm without looking for the fire and putting it out. If you are in pain, MAT is a great modality to use to seek out the fire that’s causing your pain.
How is MAT different from Massage?
MAT differs from massage in a few various ways. MAT is a very interactive session between the client and the practitioner. The client is engaged and moving throughout the treatment. Furthermore, the palpation technique utilized by MAT is focused on hitting a muscle at its origin and insertion- not in the muscle belly itself. MAT seeks to alleviate muscle tightness indirectly, by focusing not on the tight muscle, but the deactivated one- which may not be one in the same. By focusing on the impaired muscle and bringing it back to work, MAT is treating the cause of the muscle tightness to make sure that the tension does not come back. MAT offers a complimentary touch, so as a massage therapist treats the muscle tightness directly, MAT can assure that that tightness will not return.
Does MAT work well with Chiropractics?
To answer this question simply: yes, absolutely! To elaborate more: MAT is highly complimentary to chiropractics. If a chiropractor considers structural alignment and treats areas in the body where bones are misaligned, MAT supports that intervention. Muscles support and hold the skeletal system in place. Consequently, when MAT is paired with chiropractic care a client experiences increased progression in recovery receiving both the adjustment by their chiropractor followed by MAT intervention to give stability to the adjusted area to keep the client in alignment.