What are muscle knots

Introduction to muscle knots

Muscle knots are a fairly common occurrence that just about everyone has gone through at some point or another. They occur when a group of muscles tightens up and is constricted and they cause a significant amount of pain to the person who is experiencing the problem.

The medical term used to describe the condition is myofascial trigger points.

Even though muscle knots are the very common, there is really no certain reason for why they occur and it is very hard to pinpoint a cause since a muscle knot can occur at any time.

A lot of people experience them while they are sleeping, especially if they have had a strenuous workout during the day. Sometimes they can happen in the middle of an activity and most of the time they take a person by surprise completely.

Causes

As mentioned previously, no one really knows what the real reason is behind muscle knots and what causes them. Some experts believe that muscle knots are causes by an unnatural build up of protein that is caused by the release of lactic acid, which in layman’s terms means that when a muscle is knotted, this means that it was flexed due to a strain and is now refusing to relax itself.

Some also believe that the condition results simply from a pulled muscle of some type.

Also, many experts believe that people who get muscle knots are those that do not get enough exercise as a part of their every day activities.

It is a common fact that nowadays, many people have jobs that require them to work either at a desk or in front of a computer all day and because of this, their muscles are not being used enough.

Muscle knots commonly occur when a person who is in active does a strenuous physical activity, because the muscles are suddenly forced to perform after being dormant for a long period of time.

Treatment

If the pain is very severe, a person will need to contact a doctor, but usually, muscle knots can be treated at home.

It is a good idea to apply heat to the muscle that is in pain, but this should only be used if the muscle knot was not the result of an injury. If the muscle was injured, a person should be using ice packs instead to decrease the swelling and pain.

Another good idea is to massage the knots away gently with some oil. Obviously, if they are on the arms or legs, then a person can massage themselves, but if a person has a muscle knot on the back or some other area of the body that cannot be reached, they must ask someone else to massage them or go see a professional masseuse.

It is also important to drink a lot of water and have a balanced diet, and above all, it is important to have a regular exercise regiment so that the muscle will remain active and strong, which will prevent muscle knots from occurring in the future.