Muscle knots cause mild to moderate discomfort, depending on the individual’s pain threshold. While there are many conditions associated with muscle knots, nine times out of time, the contributor is an injury. Other causes include overuse of impacted muscle, intense physical activity, and physical activity without stretching. Health conditions, such as calcium deficiency, dehydration, spinal cord nerve compression, obesity, and potassium deficiency – have also been linked to muscle knots. There is no doubt, the primary contributor must be eliminated before massage therapy can be implemented.
Breakdown Of A Muscle Knot
Before you can possibly treat your condition, you need to know more about it. It is unfortunate when people try to treat their muscle knots without this knowledge. Doing so will compromise your condition to the point, a secondary injury is possible.
What is a muscle knot? The medical term, “myofascial trigger point”, is utilized in reference to a muscle knot. The medical term was coined by physical therapists. Breaking the term down will ensure you understand as much as possible about your condition.
Beginning with the “fascia,” a connective tissue that creates a barrier between the muscle and other tissue. Fascia adds a protective layer over the muscle, minimizing damage during physical exercise. Unfortunately, the fascia’s ability to protect the muscle oftentimes ends in irritation, resulting in the formation of a myofascial trigger.
Target Injured Muscle
With the contributor eliminated, massage can be applied to the impacted muscle(s). If you are working with a physical therapist, you will be provided with a treatment plan that includes massage therapy. Once you reach this point in your treatment, it may be necessary to invest in the best back massager for knots. This device will allow you to continue your massage therapy at home, eliminating tri-weekly visits to a land-based physical therapy clinic.
An electric massager delivers more accuracy than a manual massage. Even a masseuse would fail in comparison to an electric massager. And, the best benefit, there is no need to hire a masseuse unless you just want a few hours of massage pampering.
Not A Muscle Spasm
As previously mentioned above, muscle knots are caused by overuse and injury of a specific muscle. The muscle spasm, on the other hand, is caused by the same culprits. The main difference between the two conditions is how the muscle responds to an injury and overuse of physical activity. When the muscle responds to an injury by continuously working. Whereas, the muscle tightens up into a ball of tension in response to an injury and overuse.
When the muscle spasms, it contracts, resulting in mild to moderate pain.
Treating Muscle Knots
Muscle knots do not always warrant a visit to an emergency room or after-hours medical clinic. With the proper equipment – an electric massager – it is possible to relieve your symptoms in a short duration. Combining massage with rest will go a long way in combating muscle knots.
People with a history of muscle knots should always be prepared. Being prepared is having an electric massager on hand at all times.