Treating “knots” is all in a day's work!
This kind of soft tissue dysfunction is what massage was created for!
Many of us will be familiar with muscle knots and it’s a commonly used term to describe a small area of muscular tension and pain, but actually there is no such physical thing as a muscle knot.
We describe having and being able to feel sore “knarly, crunchy or stringy” spots, perhaps at the top of the shoulder blade or in the calf for example. You may experience pain when you touch them, or they might be there all the time. Scientists refer to these as Myofascial Trigger Points (1) and are defined as irritable spots in muscle which are painful upon compression.
So what causes these “knots”?
Our muscles are made up of lots of miniscule muscles fibres and in the case of these sore spot this is where muscle fibres have contracted (shortened) and when your muscles get damaged, even a little, this can cause inflammation in the muscle and also the fascia (fasica is our 3D connective tissue). The muscle overload could be from physical activity, postural imbalance, stress, injury or also from lack of use, a sedentary lifestyle - 8 hours plus sitting at a desk and looking down at your laptop etc. can all cause overload on the neck and upper shoulder muscles plus soft tissue conditions such as fibromyalgia or scar tissue from operations.
When muscle fibres contract they become shorter, fatter and bunched up and this creates a physical squeeze on the circulation in the area. Vital supplies of fuel (oxygen and nutrients from the blood) for the muscles are reduced and also the removal of the noxious waste products by the lymphatic system becomes less efficient. So, the result is muscles which become exhausted, irritated, hot, possibly inflamed and painful.
This is also the start of a vicious cycle - the pain and spasm cycle. When we feel pain, our muscles contract and contracted muscles cause more sensitivity in our nervous system and so so again our muscles contract further, there's more pain and so it goes on! This becomes chronic pain and over time, if this is not addressed, chronic muscle tension causes other changes in the muscle tissues which become stiff and hardened which is a process called fibrosis. It is these small areas of bunched and hardened muscle fibres that we call knots and that either cause you pain in a certain area and you feel when you rub your own sore shoulders or calves or when I find and treat them through massage.
PLUS, sometimes the body’s nervous system’s involvement will add another layer of pain, as well as local pain these Myofascial trigger points can refer pain into other parts of the muscle or can refer pain to distant parts of the body.
Understanding how your body feels and why these knots may have formed is all part of your treatment and suggesting home care exercises and lifestyle changes could help too. For example - mixing up your exercise routine so you are targeting different exercises/muscles on different days. Different movements through the day and hydration can all be key too.
As a Sports Massage and Remedial Therapist treating these “knots” is all in a day's work. This kind of soft tissue dysfunction is what massage was created for. Chronic muscle tension, fibrosis and trigger points respond fantastically to the right massage treatment!
Please call 07738257873 or email with any questions or to book your appointment, plus you can book online.
Nicky Holbrook
November 2023
(1)Lavelle, Elizabeth Demers et al. "Myofascial Trigger Points". Anesthesiology Clinics, vol 25, no. 4, 2007, pp. 841-851. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.anclin.2007.07.003. Accessed 18 Aug 2020.
(1)Lavelle, Elizabeth Demers et al. "Myofascial Trigger Points". Anesthesiology Clinics, vol 25, no. 4, 2007, pp. 841-851. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.anclin.2007.07.003. Accessed 18 Aug 2020.