What is the “knot” in your muscle that gets “worked out” during a massage?
In: Biology
A muscle knot is just a patch of inflamed/swollen muscle, or the fibres/layers of tissue around it, such as the fascia.
It is not clear exactly how or why they form, other than that it happens when the area is irritated by repetitive or strenuous movements.
Massages and stretches can help ‘work these out’ by increasing blood flow and fluid around the muscle (lymph), which helps the body deal with damage and reduce swelling. It also stretches out and relaxes the muscle, and stimulates the fascia, which eases pain and tension.
The knots will not disappear immediately after a massage, but will probably be less noticeable when the muscle is relaxed and stretched.
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