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.