Our muscles occasionally develop hard, unpleasant, or uncomfortable lumps. This is rather typical, and we frequently refer to them as muscle "knots." If you see a massage therapist, they might advise "myofascial release" or "trigger points" for you. However, is that truly what's happening? The reality is a little more nuanced.
What "knots" actually are is a mystery to us.
If you Google "muscle knots," a tonne of overconfident people will describe in detail what is happening in your muscle tissue whenever you feel a tight or sensitive region. But no matter how hard science has tried to figure out what's really going on, solutions have remained elusive.
In various investigations, couples or groups of professionals (such as physical therapists, physicians, and chiropractors) were tasked with identifying muscular knots in patients. Most of the time, they disagreed as to where the knots actually were. It is challenging to research the materials or causes of knots because there is no definite test or definition for what a knot even is.
Scientists have long disagreed on what exactly occurs when a muscle has a place in it that we may refer to as a knot. This PainScience.com article provides a summary of one argument. According to one school of thought, knots are "trigger points" where muscle inflammation generates pain, the discomfort makes the muscle contract, and the knot gets worse until it can be released in some other way. The other contends that there is no such thing happening and that the issue may be inflamed nerves informing our brains that we are in pain when the muscle itself is not painful.
Muscle knot explanations have not yet been proven, in any way. We don't know for sure what causes the knots or if the therapies are actually working or are only appearing to do so due to the placebo effect, but everyone appears to agree that knots exist and that some treatments, like massage, seem to assist.
How to deal with a muscle knot
Realizing there isn't a "just do this and it will get better" fix may be discouraging. On the plus side, there are numerous remedies that appear to ease muscular knots, so you might as well give a few a shot and see if they work.
Self-massage or massage
Massage of the knotted area is one method that appears to be effective. Be sure to point out any knots if you often receive massages and let your massage therapist know you'd want some extra attention there. There is no evidence to support the use of forceful massage techniques, so feel free to ask for a softer touch or even switch massage therapists if the pressure is too intense.
One explanation for the therapeutic effects of massage is that it improves blood flow to the area; a second is that it physically relaxes some of the fascia tissue surrounding the knot. The irritated nerve theory, on the other hand, is in line with the notion that pain results from the brain recognising a threat to the tissue (whether anything is wrong in the tissue or not). Your nervous system may learn that nothing is genuinely wrong by receiving an additional pain feeling in a secure setting and may then dial down the pain signals.
Rolling foam
Foam rolling is essentially a sort of self-massage, also referred to by the fancy name "self-myofascial release." No of the cause, foam rolling frequently relieves a knot.
A muscular knot can benefit from more targeted pressure applied by massage balls. Put your entire weight onto a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or specialist massage ball. You can get spiky, vibrating, and other types of balls. Once more, don't exert excessive pressure; just enough to make the knot feel a little bit better
Exercise
According to one idea, muscles that are overworked—whether through exercise or regular activities like sitting in unpleasant positions—form knots more quickly. If this is the case, it will be more difficult to overwork a stronger muscle. If exercise proves to be beneficial, it will also enhance blood flow to the area. Stretching can also make knots feel better. When you add it all together, you have a strong case for beginning a general fitness regimen that includes some cardio, some strength training, and some stretching (if you don't already).
Time
Muscle knots frequently disappear on their own, like many aches and pains we experience on a daily basis. Thus, they fall under the same classification as aching muscles and cramps, and the same guidelines apply: Do whatever makes you feel good, keep moving as much as the discomfort will allow, and give them time to heal. While we're at it, eating healthy, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of rest won't hurt.
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