Trigger Points and Muscle Knots

If you have been experiencing aching sensations and pain in your muscles and joints, it is possible that you have muscle knots. You can feel pain in your muscles and joints when you are tired from work or overworked

your body but a muscle knot is different and can be recognized immediately upon touching it. It may feel swollen, tense or bumpy or tight and contracted even when you are trying to relax plus they are sensitive too. The area may or may not also be inflamed.

Muscle knots can occur anywhere in your body but they are typically found on the back, shoulder, or neck. The medical term for muscle knots is myofascial trigger points and they occur when the muscle fiber or known as fascia underneath them becomes tight or tense. Muscle knots are hard and can cause pain in other parts of the body when touched, known as trigger points. Muscle knots can also cause symptoms including headaches, toothaches, and earaches in addition to anxiety, stress, and depression.

There are several causes of muscle knots. They can occur because of a sedentary lifestyle, overusing of muscles, injured muscles, or even a poor posture. To feel the muscle knots, you have to press the area deeply. Trigger points often cause referred pain. When you press a trigger point, the pain spreads from there to the nearby muscles. Sometimes, the muscle can twitch when the knot is pressed deeply which differentiates it from a tender point.

How to treat muscle knots?

Having muscle knots can be uncomfortable. Though it is not a life threatening condition, it can affect your daily activities. When you experience muscle knots, it is important that you are aware of some beneficial home remedies. Here are some ways that you can break up the knots and find instant relief.

• Rest

It is important to rest if you have muscle knots. Refrain from doing your daily activities, especially those that can put stress to your muscles. It can be as simple as sleeping longer or lying in a comfortable position while watching your favorite TV show.

• Stretching and exercise

Stretching can elongate your muscles and helps in releasing tension in your body. Exercise can also relieve muscle knots by increasing blood supply to your body. It can even help in filtering out the toxins.

• Trigger point pressure release

This type of therapy works by applying pressure to the trigger points but it should be done by a skilled practitioner. The pressure will help the muscle knot soften and release it in the process.

Muscle knots can cause chronic pain and can cause several health issues so it is always a good idea to visit your doctor and get treated to make sure that you are not experiencing a larger issue.