Everyone’s muscles contract from time to time, especially in areas like the back and neck, where we carry most of our tension throughout the day.
Yet what causes them, and more importantly, how can we make them? go away?
exercise physiologist Zachary Gillen have some ideas about both answers.
First of all, the official name for muscle knots is myofascial trigger points. The fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that surrounds the muscle, and when the muscle is damaged it can lead to inflammation in the fascia.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
Clumps of swollen tissue are often tender to the touch and can limit your range of motion due to pain.
You’ll usually get these trigger points when you’ve tried a new activity or pushed yourself harder than usual in a sport or at the gym. Alternatively, sitting hunched over in front of your computer all day, or holding any position for a period of time, also puts a strain on your muscles.
So once they’re there, how do we get rid of them?
The easiest answer, but perhaps the most painful, is to simply wait. It takes time for your muscles to adjust to new movements and routines, but within a week or two, any resulting knots should resolve without intervention.
If you are in severe pain, you can help the recovery process along with things like massage, dry needling, or electrical stimulation. Each of these techniques aims to decrease muscle and fascia tension and increase blood flow to the area in the process.
More blood passing through the tissue provides nutrients and oxygen, speeding up recovery.
Gillen says there are also techniques you can use at home, like just stretching. For example, if you sit at your desk all day, do a few shoulder rolls and neck rolls when you stand up.
Another at-home option is self-myofascial release, which involves using a foam roller of some sort, a hard ball, or a piece of PVC pipe. Roll your chosen device back and forth over sore spots and expect it to do the same trick as a professional massage.
In the end, these knots are not a cause for long-term concern. Keep working out, keep stretching, and everything will work out eventually.
