Ways to Get Rid of Muscle Knots & How Massage Therapy Can Help

Few things in life are more annoying than muscle knots. These tense and tender areas can range from minor annoyance all the way to debilitating pain. Generally, muscle knots develop from poor posture, stress, repetitive motions, or even injury. If you've ever desperately searched for "massage near me" to alleviate muscle knot pain, this article is for you. 


What is a Muscle Knot?

A muscle knot is an area of tissue that is hyper-irritable, usually on a band of skeletal muscle or its connective tissues. If a muscle fiber is continuously strained or irritated, it can get stuck in a state of continuous contraction. These contractions restrict blood flow to the area, which causes a buildup of metabolic waste products such as lactic acid. This acid irritates the muscle, causing more contraction, which creates more lactic acid, resulting in a vicious cycle. Moderate to severe muscle knots can lead to a medical diagnosis known as "myofascial pain syndrome", per the Mayo Clinic.

Two common trigger points contribute to muscle knots:

• Active Trigger Points: These are sensitive spots where pain is frequently felt, but not necessarily the source of pain. For example, a knot in your shoulder might be the source of a headache. This phenomenon is often called "referred pain." Experienced massage therapists should be able to treat active trigger points to relieve referred pain caused by muscle knots.
  
  

• Latent Trigger Points: These types of muscle knots don't cause constant pain. Instead, pain is only felt when the muscle is directly compressed. However, latent trigger points can cause muscle weakness and restrict joint movement. 

Identify the Cause of Muscle Knots

Effective, long-term treatment begins with understanding the cause. Knots tend to be symptoms of a larger issue. Common causes are poor posture, dehydration, mental stress and anxiety, repetitive movements, or injury. Addressing the root cause is the best preventive solution. But what if you've already got muscle knots? How do you alleviate them?


Acupuncture & Dry Needling for Muscle Knots

For deep and stubborn muscle knots, acupuncture and dry needling can be a very effective technique, per the Cleveland Clinic. This ancient practice involves the insertion of needles into specific points on the body.

Acupuncture directly releases chronic contraction within the muscle fibers. When the small needle is inserted into a tight trigger point, it can elicit a local twitch response within the muscle. This is often followed by a sustained relaxation of the muscle band.

Acupuncture directly treats muscle knots in three ways:

• Knot Deactivation: By creating a micro-trauma at the trigger point, the nervous system is triggered to reset the shortened muscle fibers. This effectively deactivates the knot.
  
  

• Increase Blood Flow: Acupuncture increases blood flow to the area. This will help flush out the buildup of metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid. Increased blood flow provides pain relief, and also helps break the pain-contraction-pain cycle. The increased blood flow will also deliver more oxygen and nutrients, hastening tissue repair.
  
  

• Natural Pain Relief: The needling process, no matter where it occurs on the body, stimulates the nervous system to release its own natural pain-killing chemicals, specifically endorphins. 

Foam Rolling for Muscle Knots

A common, at-home technique for alleviating muscle knots is foam rolling. This involves using a cylindrical piece of dense foam to apply continuous pressure to taught bands of muscle. By slowly rolling body weight over the painful areas, the pressure from your body weight will mechanically break up adhesions. This process will encourage blood flow and reduce tension. The key is to get the timing right. Pressure should be applied directly to the painful area for about 30-60 seconds. 


Stretching for Muscle Knots

Consistent and gentle stretching is probably the best way to prevent muscle knots. Since knots exist in contracted, shortened muscles, careful stretching helps prevent the contraction from happening in the first place. The goal is to achieve static stretching, that is to keep the muscle at a point of tension for about 20-30 seconds. You should feel the muscle tension, but avoid stretching too hard where pain is felt. 


Massage Therapy for Muscle Knots

While foam rolling and stretching can be helpful, therapeutic massages remain one of the best solutions for treating muscle knots. A professional massage therapist holds advanced training to accurately locate and treat trigger points, both active trigger points and latent trigger points. 

Specifically, a massage therapist often uses "digital pressure," or pressure applied directly through their fingers. This technique allows for accurate treatment directly on the trigger point. Additionally, the massage therapist will actually feel the knot fade, allowing them to apply the exact amount of pressure time. 

Perhaps the best benefit is that messages can better treat the causes of referred pain. Should a muscle knot in your shoulders be causing a headache, the massage therapist will know how to treat your shoulders to get rid of your headache. As noted by the AMTA, massage therapy is one of the best ways to treat muscle knots given that it is non-invasive and doesn't rely on pharmaceuticals that may have negative side effects. 

If you're looking for a therapeutic massage in Jacksonville, Florida, we invite you to check out The Wellness Hub. We offer both classic and advanced massages to treat muscle knots in addition to acupuncture and dry needling services. We accept HSA and FSA for our massage therapy and acupuncture services.


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