It starts with mild stiffness and pain in your neck and around your shoulders. Most people try to work through it by moving their neck around and shaking their shoulders loose, but the pain persists. If you have faced a similar situation, you’re probably dealing with a knot.
What Is A Muscle Knot?
When a muscle gets overworked, it spasms, forming a tight ball within it. This knot is either made up of two or more muscles or even the fibres of a single muscle.
Muscle knots can be quite painful and cause additional pain to surrounding body parts when touched. They usually form around the neck, back, and shoulder areas, causing a stiff aching sensation in the muscles and joints. In some cases, knots can also become inflamed and swollen.
What Causes Muscle Knots?
Our muscles activate the moment we start moving, and automatically deactivate after a short period of inactivity. Continually using the same muscles causes them to twitch, and ultimately results in a knot. Knots can also occur due to physical injuries, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor posture.
Unhealthy eating habits, dehydration, anxiety, and stress are also key factors that increase the formation of knots in muscles.
How Does Massage Therapy Help Eliminate Knots?
Massage therapists have a deep understanding of the musculoskeletal structure. They are trained to feel where knots have formed by looking for hardness or tense muscles.
They use various techniques to apply the right amount of pressure which helps in releasing the knots. They also help the patient’s breath deeply while eliminating the knots to relax the muscles and relieve any pain.
In serious cases where knots form repeatedly, physical therapy might be recommended to help identify the cause behind their formation. Physical therapists also provide helpful techniques that can prevent the knots from forming in the future.
Contact Our Massage Therapists In Toronto!
Sports & Exercise Medicine Institute is a leading sports medicine and physiotherapy clinic in Toronto. Our team comprises of some of the best doctors and physical therapists in the country.
Our expert diagnoses and effective non-surgical treatment options help us treat patients with various physical and mental health issues as well as debilitating illnesses. Our range of services includes physiotherapy, massage therapy, shockwave therapy, medical injection therapy, and neck and shoulder pain treatments.
Contact us now to schedule an appointment!
