So I understand it is a build up of lactic acid and stress, but beyond that I do not understand. What are the different reasons knots form? How and why does massaging get rid of knots? The true reason I’d like more info on is why do they recur in the same spot over time even if the knot is broken up?
In: Biology
Massage therapist with medical background:
A muscle knot is a clump of segments along the strand of a muscle that remain contracted when the rest of the muscle has relaxed due to overuse/fatigue from prolonged contraction of the muscle. There are common areas where they occur regularly, because there are certain muscles that we keep contracted for long periods of time without stretching. Upper trapezius and medial gastrocnemius(calf muscle) are the ones that I find knotted up more often than not.
I believe there is a also correlation between long periods of isometric contraction (Where the muscle contracts but does not get longer or shorter) associated with the muscles that are frequently knotted.
Stretching doesn’t work as well to get rid of them quickly, but positional release, which is letting the muscle remain relaxed and in a position where it has some slack, for several minutes can. A more direct approach is to relax it and apply percussion or vibration. I use a thera-cane on my upper shoulders that has percussion in the end.
If you don’t change your postural habits, they will come right back because they are still being over-worked.
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