Muscle Activation Techniques
Articles and Testimonials

Articles and Case Studies

To read articles and case studies about Muscle Activation please see the links to the right of this page. We are regularly updating this section so please visit often.

Testimonials

"I have had a series of 1 hour sessions with Owen concentrating on my right shoulder. I had experienced for many years pain in my neck and a tightening of muscles on my right side, after the sessions I’ve had no problems. Repeating the exercises supplied by Owen has improved my suppleness and I now do not have to take pain killers. I would recommend MAT to a number of my friends in fact have already done so."
Chris. O

"I would like to thank you for your time you have spent with me over the last few weeks in improving my strength and agility using the muscle activation techniques that you employ. There has been a noticeable improvement in both my lateral movement on the tennis court and in recovery with less joint stiffness after long matches."
Mark. F

"I originally made contact about a problem with my right knee, which had persisted for some months and made walking difficult. After an initial assessment, Owen identified a problem of mobility in my right ankle and left hip as well as the knee. He designed a course of MAT and exercise which he explained in detail but simple terms.

Within a couple of sessions I found the problem in my knee had gone away and the mobility in the hip was much improved. I can now walk without difficulty and undertake a full range of gym exercises without problems.

Throughout the process I have found owen to be most helpful and very professional in his approach. The technique has certainly been of great benefit to me and I have had no hesitation in recommending it to a number of other people."
Peter. H

"Since experiencing MAT I have gained more strength in my upper right leg, gained more flexibility in my left leg, gained strength in my knees, been able to move without so much of a limp, been able to walk for longer periods without getting back ache, been able to get up off the floor more easily and am generally fitter."
Barbara. D

"I have found the MAT process extremely helpful in assisting me to carry out my gym programme. I had been experiencing pain in my knees and lower back but with the application of the MAT process, exercising and gardening are virtually pain free now. I would certainly recommend MAT to anyone who is suffering similar problems."
June. O

"I have undergone a series of MAT sessions to alleviate pain from my shoulder due to a skiing accident. I already had tried alternative therapies with no long term effectiveness. With MAT there was an improvement in mobility within one session.

Mat is a gentle treatment which in my case has restored mobility and eased the pain considerably. Some days I’m unaware of any discomfort at all.

After several sessions, I am now able to change the car gears, lift weights and open doors without concern or consequences.

I would recommend MAT to anyone who wants to retain an active lifestyle and maintain joint mobility."
Dee O.

"I had been experiencing pain and tenderness over my shoulder and visited my GP who advised I probably had a rotator cuff injury. I was having problems raising my arm out to the side, reaching behind and lifting or pulling heavy weights, I had pain at night, particularly when I was sleeping on my side and in the morning my arm was very stiff. My shoulder felt weak and I had a limited range of movement.

I was sent for Physio and had began to see some improvement, unfortunately as my shoulder improved the pain and tenderness moved across to the other side I continued with the physio for many months with a small amount of improvement, but when ever my shoulder and arm was put under a small amount of pressure I was back to square one, I was getting a little fed up by then, as a was unable to participate fully in yoga and was restricted in my gym work. Even normal day to day jobs were painful, carrying sho pping bags, reaching into cupboards and putting out the washing.

A friend recommended Owen and I was more than happy to try a new approach at resolving my problem. The results were great right from the start. I saw Owen once a week and did the daily exercises as instructed, these were very easy and only took up a few minutes twice a day. What I liked about the process was I could physically see the way my shoulder responded to the MAT straight away.

My shoulder and arm are now fully pain free and my movement is excellent, all yoga moves are now possible and the gym work outs have strengthened my shoulder, even weight bearing exercises.

I am extremely pleased with my results and would have no hesitation in recommending Owen who is polite, friendly and very professional."
Carole P.

"Previous injuries and a very manic lifestyle involving lots of travelling and long work hours, left me with a lot of tension in the neck and upper back. The tension restricted my movement and had an impact on the types of exercises and training I could do. I tried a series of different treatments that helped with the pain but didn't seem to help me regain my mobility; not ideal for my goal of regaining optimum fitness and health after injury.

From the first session with Owen, I felt my range of motion improve. Within a short time, the tension and restriction to range of motion had eased to a point where the discomfort was minor. The best part however, was disco vering that the improvements were holding and I was able to progress training without the body breaking down. I can honestly say, I am squatting deeper than ever but more importantly, the improved movement patterns and performance is translating to every day life.

While the notion of someone improving your posture or fixing an injury by simply palpating certain points might seem like magic, I highly recommend the muscle activation technique and in particular, Owen. He is always professional and takes the time to educate his clients. You will be in good hands, literally :)"
Larry Y.

Read an article here from Larry's Personal Trainer.

"I work very long hours in a busy microbiology laboratory and one of my many interests is Tai Chi. Enduring painful aching feet for quite some time, I approached Owen and discussed this condition. He immediately noticed the arch in both feet had dropped which would give some explanation.

In the first few weeks of treatment, there was a quick improvement in pain relief with noticeable strengthening of muscle structure in my feet and toes. Owen has meticulous knowledge of the body’s anatomy and its interaction. This together with muscle activation techniques (MAT) has greatly improved my lifestyle and has put it back on track in the gym pain free.

I have recently completed an intense Tai Chi instructor course and noticed a vast improvement in balance, coordination and flexibility in the form, this I can only down to Owen’s special talent.

Thank you Owen"
S. Jarvis.

"I am 59 years old and am fit and active. I play golf as often as possible with a handicap of 11. For the past few years, after sitting for 20-30 minutes I suffered with a painful right hip. It was also painful when lying in bed.

To try and relive the pain I had seen a chiropractor a physiotherapist, had numerous massages – nothing worked. I had x-rays, mri scans and a full body bone scan and no faults were found.

I saw Owen a few months ago after giving up with other treatments. I am so glad I found him – we have worked on a range of muscles in my back shoulders, stomach, ankles and legs. I did not know muscles could become inactive in the body.

My hip is better than it has been in years and my golf swing rotation has improved with better stability. MAT is a fascinating therapy that really works. I would recommend it to anyone. Thanks Owen."
Derek Osgood.

A word from Owen:

Derek presented a typical case for MAT. He has been around the block with respect to other forms of treatment for his hip pain. It wasn’t that these treatments had not worked, merely they only gave him short term relief.

Chiropractic work had identified and worked with an imbalance at his pelvis, physiotherapy had identified him as having very tight hamstrings and hip muscles and he had also been working in pilates to strengthen his core muscles.

As a step on from this we hypothesised that perhaps the muscles were tight and painful because they were doing a job protecting instability in the body and that compression (sitting, lying, massage) and stretching were possibly agitating the muscle after short term relief.

In terms of range of motion some movements were indeed painful both in movement and in holding the position. In this particular case we actually worked around the area adding stability to the torso and in subsequent sessions his lower leg.

Importantly this is different from the stability added in conventional training such as core work and pilates as these methods will sometimes only strengthen the muscles that are already strong*.

*MAT tests for whether muscles can regulate tension and contract on demand.

This approach appeared to add support and take the strain off of the hip and in subsequent sessions we could test for and add support direct to the area. The basis of this method is an understanding of how the body compensates for instability. A simple analogy is that of a suspension bridge; if some of the support fails more stress is placed elsewhere on the bridge and suspension. The bridge itself may present as a problem but cannot be resolved without rebuilding the support underneath and ensuring the suspension is solid.

From an MAT perspective, treatment has been successful as stability has been restored as shown in the muscle testing alongside improvements in range of motion throughout Derek’s body. From Derek’s perspective MAT has been successful because he is not in pain, feels great and has a better golf swing!

Muscle Activation Techniques Articles and Testimonials

Articles and Case Studies

Testimonials

Muscle Activation Articles

Muscle Activation Techniques
Articles and Testimonials