How long should I expect the results to last after a treatment?
It is crucial to understand that Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) only stabilizes joints and does not strengthens them. In other words, a treated joint will remain stable until a force applied to it exceeds its threshold. Most often, the threshold for stress is low immediately following the treatment. That is why a MAT specialist will often suggest staying away from strenuous activity the day of the treatment. Fortunately, the threshold for stress will increase as a stable joint adapts to physical activity (and hence becomes stronger). What is important is to progress the joint from a low to high level of stress. This is where a strategically planned exercise program is instrumental.
Sometimes a treated joint will regress back to a state of dysfunction. This usually indicates that the functioning of that particular joint is dependent on another joint. For example, a client complains about pain in the hip. The MAT specialist assesses range of motion (ROM) at the hip and treats all muscles where ROM appears limited. The pain initially decreases, but then returns. On a subsequent session, the MAT specialist may discover that there are ROM limitations in the foot and the trunk. The MAT specialist then treats the foot and trunk without treating the hip, and then the pain at the hip may very well disappear.