What is a muscle “KNOT” & what to do about it

So what exactly is a muscle “knot”?

I get asked a variation of this question often. People are curious! They want to know why the little crunchy spot on their shoulder feels the way it does. More specifically they want to know why it’s there in the first place. I’ve heard it called many names:

• -knot

• -adhesion

• -trigger point

• -crunchies

It’s not actually a knot

So here’s the secret: a knot isn’t actually a knot! It’s actually a band of muscle fibers that are stuck in a “shortened” position.

These small (but mighty!) muscle fibers move together when they contract and move apart when they relax. A strange analogy that makes sense in my brain is imagining the tightly woven fibers of a Wicker Chair sliding back and forth on top of one another.

Sometimes these fibers get stuck in the shortened position which can “jumble up” the muscle fibers and they end up creating a bundle of muscle fibers that are what we call a muscle knot.

What does the knot do?

Let’s say you’ve started a new work out routine and you went a little to hard on your shoulders. The muscles on and surrounding your shoulders have been contracting and relaxing through the duration of the work out. If your muscle fibers aren’t used to these movements they can get “stuck” in the shortened position and create a knot. The knot blocks essential blood flow to the rest of the body. This can create pain, soreness, stiffness and overall tightness.

Sometimes the knot can become intense enough that it is then considered a trigger point. Trigger points can refer pain to other areas of the body. These often occur when muscles are being asked to move too much, too often, too intensely, or for long periods of time without being able to let go.

Example: sometimes when I work on trigger points in the neck the client can feel it all the way down into the arm. Pretty cool!

What can I do about it?

For at home care, stretching or gentle dance-like movement is a wonderful way to get those muscle fibers to lengthen or “relax”. We can all benefit from stretching and gently moving our fascia, daily!

But what if it’s gotten too far? What if stretching just isn’t getting you the relief that you’re looking for?

*Insert your favorite massage therapist* here to save the day! Sometimes you really do need another human to work on those trigger points, increase blood flow to sore muscles, and help the nervous system chill out.

Reccomendations

If stretching just isn’t cutting it and you’re looking for a massage, the services I’d recommend to best address “knots” are The Elemental Reset or the Deep Fascia Reset. We can do some in depth trigger point work and utilize cupping to give you some relief from those pesky knots. We can even incorporate hot stones to bring blood flow to the areas affected by the build up of knots.

If you’re ready to book, I’d love to help you feel like you again.