Why Do I Get Knots In My Muscles?

"Ooh! What is that? Is that a knot? What causes those?"

These are common questions asked by people who are getting massage therapy for the first time or the 100th time.

My standard answer is that the 'knot' is a trigger point in your muscles. So you may be thinking 'well then what is a trigger point?'

Great question!

A trigger point is an area in your muscle where the muscle fibers have been constricted for a period of time and are unable to release on their own. So basically the muscle becomes stuck in a compressed state where blood flow has stopped or slowed from exorbitant waste build up and oxygen use in the area.

Imagine a highway flowing at a steady pace; then all of a sudden there is a wreck between two cars, then a third then a fourth and so on and so on until the highway is completely jammed and there is no traffic moving. The ambulance, fire trucks and police cars all come to clear it all up but make the highway even more jam packed at the same time. It's similar with the muscles.

Waste accumulates and congests in the muscle fibers making them tighten and "jam." Oxygen and blood start to then move into the tight and contracted area to move the waste but the waste just absorbs the oxygen and blocks the blood from flowing freely and easily. All the while the knot gets bigger or tenser and tender bringing pain and discomfort.

This in turn makes the muscle want to rest and relax leading it to be underused, making it tighten up. This result of this phenomenon is often discomfort, pain, sleep impairment, and at times limited range of motion.

Often times a person doesn't even realize they have a knot until someone starts to rub the area that is constricted. All they know is that their muscle or muscles are tight and they want them to be loose again, which is not an unusual desire. Who wouldn't want to be pain free, comfortable, and able to move freely? But before you can remedy and release these points of discomfort you have to know what causes them.

What Causes my Back Muscle Knots?

Tight muscles and the formation of the knots often stems from factors that most people do unconsciously like having poor posture. This might include sitting at a desk for hours on end or slouching in your favorite easy chair watching television every night. This day and age, a common cause is sitting at the computer for long periods of time causing the neck and back to tense and eventually get knotted up from the muscles not being elongated like they should be.

Sleeping in awkward positions puts strain on the muscles which may also lead to trigger points and knots. It may be comfortable for the moment but when you awake and you're achy it's probably best not to repeat the position again. Accidents can be the cause of knotted muscles too. It doesn't have to be a major car accident either. Something as simple as you bracing yourself from a fall or an old or recent sports injury can be the initial trigger for those pesky knots.

How do I get Rid of the Knots in my Back Muscles?

One of the most effective ways to reduce knots in the muscles, as you likely guessed, is by massaging the affected areas.

Massage manipulates the muscle fibers to relax, release, and elongate the muscles so they may get back to functioning as they should. It helps to break up the waste buildup and allows the oxygen to move the blood through the congested area to flow freely as it is intended to do in a normal muscle.

Different modalities of massage work well with breaking up the trigger points but what is most often misunderstood is that it takes time to really get them to release and stay that relaxed. Many people believe that if you dig deep it will be most beneficial, but in reality slow and steady pressure that eases or 'walks' into it is the best way to create long lasting relief.

Starting out light to allow the muscles and therapist to familiarize themselves with each other and then moving into deeper work with each session works best for longer lasting benefits.

What Should I do After a Massage to Reduce Soreness?

After the massage is completed, it is important to ice the areas worked on. We recommend that our massage (and chiropractic) patients ice the areas we worked on 20 minutes per hour.

In addition to ice on the area to reduce inflammation, it is equally important to drink a lot of water to help flush out the toxins and waste that was broken up during the massage. Otherwise, it will just accumulate all over again and can become more inflamed than before.

If you are like many people in our high stress and often much too sedentary society, you likely have 'knots' that could benefit from massage therapy. You don't have to take the pain and discomfort any longer! Take the time to find a massage therapist or chiropractor skilled in muscle relief therapy and get your muscles started on the road to recovery.

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