What's Is A Muscle "Knot"?

Muscle Knots.  We've all had them.  They come in many different shapes and sizes, and have been called many things.  Knots, nodules, bumps, "a pain in my.....".  But what exactly are they??  Where do they come from, and what can be done to get rid of them or manage their symptoms?  Well, you have come to the right place!

What you may feel as a muscle knot or nodule can be one of several things.  To keep things simple, I am going to be writing about one of the primary conditions - Myofascial Trigger Points.  You may have heard me refer to them through the course of your care, as trigger points are one of the main symptoms that Massage Therapists treat.

But What Are They?

Trigger points are defined as "a hyper irritable spot, usually within a taut band of skeletal muscle or fascia" (Rattray & Ludwig, 2005, p.203).  When active, trigger points often cause pain (either with or without pressure) and/or cause pain to refer to another spot on the body.  When the soft tissues are stressed or experience trauma, the fibres develop a muscle contracture - meaning the muscle is taut, pulling the joint shorter than normal.  This can create pain and restrict the range of motion of the joint.  The body's natural reflex will cause a reduction in blood flow to protect the muscle from further damage (Rattray & Ludwig, 2005, p.204).

Check out the picture to the right.  This is the common trigger point referral pattern of the trapezius muscle.  It is one of the more common muscles that clients seek massage therapy for for release.

Sounds like a real pain, right??  But how are myofasical trigger points treated?

One of the primary aspect to treat trigger points through massage therapy is to reduce the amount of sympathetic nervous system firing (fight/flight response), as the body is generally considered "stressed".  When the body and mind are calm, the tissues soften, allowing for easier access to the trigger point.  Once the tissues are warmed up with general massage or heat, specific massage can be done to the muscle belly to loosen the fibres.  Muscle stripping, skin rolling, specific compressions to the trigger point and surrounding muscles help to loosen the "knot" and allow the muscle to relax and promote an adequate blood flow.  Following these massage techniques, a gentle stretch to the muscle can be done to lengthen the shortened fibres.  If an inflammation is present from the massage, or if the tissues become tender from the treatment, a gentle cool application can be used to soothe the tissues.  It is also vital to consider the synergist and antagonist muscles - depending on the cause of the trama, certain tissues may be short, long or weak.  To prevent further injury, treatment to these groups will help you recover faster.  Finally, referring back to last months article, home care exercises will play a critical role to help aid your healing in between treatments. (Rattray & Ludwig, 2005, p. 211-214).

There you have it!  The next time you get a muscle knot, you will know how your body has adapted as well as how your RMT can help you heal and feel great!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, and I hope you have a great day!

References:

Rattray, F., & Ludwig, L. (2005). Clinical Massage Therapy: Understanding, Assessing And Treating Over 70 Conditions (11th ed.). Elora, ON: Talus Incorporated.  

Image:

Ground Up Strength. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2017, from http://www.gustrength.com/muscles:trapezius-location-actions-and-trigger-points