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How to Remove Muscle Knots
Muscle knots can develop suddenly or over time, last for a few hours or the long term and often seem baseless — leaving you not only in significant pain but perplexed.
The knots get their colloquial name from the sensation they cause, as though your muscles are tied up in — you guessed it — tight knots. And they are extremely common, according to a National Institutes of Health report published in 2004, affecting an estimated 44 million Americans. When the pain doesn’t let up or worsens, it may be a sign of more serious muscle knots, commonly known as myofascial pain syndrome, myofascial pain disorder or myofascitis.
Myofascial derives from the words “myo,” which is Greek for muscle, and “fascia,” which refers to the muscle’s tough outer lining that keeps it in place. The term “muscle knot” is used to describe a variety of painful issues affecting the fascia, such as muscle contracting and spasms or the buildup of scar tissue.
Most people have experienced a muscle knot at some point. They can be complicated, but they are also quite manageable.
Causes
Muscle knots vary significantly between athletes and non-athletes. With an athlete it’s very sport-specific. Depending on what sport they’re playing, they may develop scar tissue in different places. You could have trigger points, which is tightening in the muscle that refers pain, like headaches, or radiates pain from areas you don’t expect it to be coming from. You could also have deterioration of scar tissue from muscle overuse.
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone that hasn’t experienced a muscle knot at some point. They can be complicated, but they are also quite manageable. Runners are prone to iliotibial band syndrome, or the buildup of tissue along the lateral thigh; Achilles tendinitis, which is the inflammation of the tendon at the back of the heel; and plantar fasciitis, which affects connective tissue in the foot.
The most common muscle knot issue I see in nonathletic patients stems from poor posture and sitting at a computer for hours on end. This causes overuse of muscles in your head, neck and shoulders, and the pain builds up over time.
Gravity is basically pulling these muscles in a position that is not natural, so the muscle starts to develop scar tissue. When you sit at a computer all day long, you tend to get a lot of muscle asymmetry, because you’re using the mouse with one hand, typing with the keyboard that’s way ahead of you and looking down at a monitor. Poor ergonomics will lead to a buildup of scar tissue.
Some knots occur suddenly, and are known as acute muscle knots. Acute muscle knots can occur after an injury to the muscle itself. An example of this could be a car accident, a fall or sports trauma.
Such trauma can stimulate the muscle, causing it to contract and spasm, triggering knot-like pain. Your body may also react to trauma by creating scar tissue, which can also trigger knots.
Unfortunately, some of these same pain generators can cause pain for prolonged periods of time. The pain can cause the muscles to spasm, or guard, for months or longer.
Although the specific cause of chronic myofascitis remains unknown, contributing factors may include poor posture, overuse of muscles, mechanical problems — such as having legs of different lengths — and emotional problems — such as stress, depression and anxiety.
Instructions on How to Remove Muscle Knots
- Applying heat to the affected muscle. If muscle pain is really just a muscle knot and not an injury, the heat will help relax the muscle so it can loosen and release the knot. (If you think that the knot is due to an injury which has just received, apply an ice pack to reduce swelling and see a doctor.) Electric heating pads, heated gel packs, and heat to produce disposable pads all work well for muscle knots but not for trauma.
- Massage the area. If you know a good massage, arrange a massage as soon as possible. If you do not have a massage, or can not afford to visit a masseuse, there are other ways you can get the muscle massaged. If the knot in your leg you will be able to easily massage yourself. You must knead the deep zone. Unfortunately, many muscle knots occur in the neck and shoulders and are not as accessible. In these cases remain under a hot shower and let the water beat down on you for a long time. After showering, use a pillow or massage with the hand holding the device at the knotted muscle.
- stretch the muscle a little bit, the best you can. This will help keep the muscles around the muscle knot gnashing of teeth and thus the problem. Motion is a great healer for issues of the muscles!
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication or muscle or drink a glass of wine (but do not take acetaminophen with wine or other alcoholic beverages).
- Eat a banana and / or take a calcium and magnesium tablets. Sometimes muscle are caused by muscle knots lack of minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium.
- Apply a topical cream muscle pain. Most topical creams for muscle pain give only temporary relief, however, may be beneficial right before a massage. Current creams help to relax the muscles slightly and provide a deeper, more useful massage. We use several at Chiropractic Lane.
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