What is a muscle knot?

A knot is a bump-like area in the muscle that can be tender to the touch. The medical massage term for a knot is a trigger point.

This is caused by repetitive motions, stress tension, and/or injury to the muscle.

A muscle is a group of many muscle fibers that contract and release to assist in moving parts of the body. When a knot is formed the muscle fiber has been over stretched/overworked and the fiber forms an area of tension or constant contraction. See photo attached to this blog.

Icing the knot will help push the blood away from the area and allow nutrient rich blood to flow back in once the ice has been removed. Never ice for more that 15 minutes at a time.

Massage is very important for maintaining a healthy tension free body. Many massage techniques are great for breaking up the knot and releasing the trigger point. In many cases this takes more than one massage session.

Lastly it is vital to drink plenty of water during the day. Our bodies need it to function properly.

Jenna Snelgrove

LMT CT7300