Muscle Activation
Technique (MAT)

You may be a candidate for the Muscle Activation Technique (MAT).

MAT was developed by Greg Roskoff and the technique has been taught by Mr. Roskoff since 2000 (muscleactivation.com). MAT works on the premise that there are muscles in our bodies, which are “turned off,” and because of this, muscles in the surrounding areas of the “turned off” muscle go into a compensatory mode to make up for the lack of function of the “turned off” muscle.

After a certain period of time this mechanism of compensation by other muscles can manifest as immediate loss of range of motion and potential pain at that joint, and the joint above and below that muscle. Other symptoms include chronic tightness, pain, or aches.

Is it true the reason Peyton Manning was able to play in Denver was in large part that his MAT specialist, founder Greg Roskopf, is based in Denver?

It really isn’t earth-shattering news anymore. In fact, it was well documented in a Sports Illustrated article. Peyton Manning, unquestionably one of the top five quarterbacks to ever play football, swears by MAT helping him resurrect his career, which allowed him to continue to play at the highest level.

It should be noted that some people mistakenly refer to it as Muscle Activation Therapy. Therapy has a different goal though – range of motion (ROM). When our bodies are chronically injured or declining, the body’s way of protecting itself is to tighten. We see this any time we are in danger. Therapy therefore, whether physical therapy, sports massage, or chiropractic care, is about trying to release tension and increase ROM. MAT is different. Instead of getting muscles to relax, it’s actually getting muscles to tighten and contract properly. The idea is that in doing so, these muscles provide stability.