What is a muscle knot, why does it happen and what you can do to relieve it

"All this stress has me in knots!" Muscle knots! Perhaps the arch nemesis of relaxation. When I was competing as an athlete, I definitely had my fair share of these pests! From neck and shoulder knots that can limit your range of motion, and back knots that can stab you with agonizingly sharp pain that can leave you truly short of breath. To leg knots that can have you hobbling around like Yoda. Everyone at some point has or will experience a visit from these nasty little guys. Lets have a look at what they are and what you can do to ease sometimes (albeit temporarily) crippling muscle knots.

So, a muscle knot or myofascial trigger point is to put into simple terms is an area of tense muscle fibers. These fibers start to stick together to form a hard ball and BAM!... Muscle knot! However muscle knots especially long term or recurring knots can sometimes be a sign of more serious health issues. If you are experiencing this please see your health care provider. In this blog I'm talking about the occasional knot issues.

Possible causes of muscle knots are:

- Mental and emotional stress causing tension (if only you knew someone who could help you relax!Shameless plug I know:))

- Overuse and or direct injury

- Prolonged inaction

- Dehydration

At home there are a couple easy things you can do to help speed the little balls of hell along their way. Stretching and self or partner assisted massage are the simplest techniques and are both effective at releasing mild knots. Again if the pain continues see your doctor. A physical therapists also has a range of tools to help with knotting including active release therapy which is as painful as it is effective.

In the long run these guys are best altogether avoided in the first place. Increasing your physical activity, yoga and/or stretching breaks, maintaining proper hydration, and generally trying, yes try to stay as stress free as possible will not only help with your overall well being but also decrease your chances of getting "all knotted up".

#health #massa #muscleknots