Muscle knots, those pesky bundles of tension that seem to appear out of nowhere, can turn a good day into a painful one. Whether you’re an athlete, a desk worker, or just someone trying to live an active lifestyle, chances are you’ve encountered these knots at some point. But what exactly are muscle knots, and how can we deal with them effectively? Today we’ll delve into the science behind muscle knots, explore their causes, discuss remedies, and share tips for prevention.
What is a muscle knot?
Muscle knots are often referred to as “trigger points.” They are easy to come by and challenging to get rid of. You may even feel a palpable “knot” or “ball” of tight tissue right where the pain is. Your friend/family member or even health care professional may push directly on it and you give that “ooo that’s it!” response. Typically, this muscle is somewhat stuck in a tonic or contracted state.
Does heat work for muscle tightness?
Heat can provide an analgesic (pain-reducing) effect on most irritated tissues. So, yes, heat will give you relief-temporarily.
Do dry needling, cupping, massage gun, theragun, or lacrosse ball massages work for muscle knots?
Yes, and no. Similar to heat, all of these treatments do provide relief. You are almost guaranteed to have effective relief from getting dry needling done, using a massage or theragun, pushing on the knot with a lacrosse ball, or having someone “work out” the knot with their hands. The question is, are any of these techniques truly permanent? Unfortunately, the research continues to give us a resounding no.
What actually works for getting rid of muscle knots?
Think of it like this. There are two types of treatment: passive and active.
Passive treatment includes the things discussed above. They are performed to you. You are passive in the process as the technique is applied to your body.
Active treatments are performed by you. Think of lifting weights, going for a run or doing repeated cobra stretches.
In short, passive treatments work for temporary relief. Active treatments work for long term relief.
Trust me- I wish passive treatments worked. It would be amazing if we could foam roll something out once or twice and it never came back. My job would be EASY! Unfortunately, it takes a bit of a deeper dive to get long term relief from muscle tension or knots.
Why do I hold all my stress in my traps?
Have you ever been told this? “You hold all your stress in your traps.” Or “You carry all your stress at the base of your skull.” The person who told you this is absolutely entitled to their opinion. I personally do not see it in the same light however, so I will do my best to explain how I approach it- right or wrong. The wording of this confuses me. Is stress an object that you can carry or hold? The emotion of stress and the feeling of pain or tension are two separate things. Yes, when we are stressed, we may feel greater tension in these areas. Typically when we are stressed, our muscle tension does go up as our fight or flight hormones release. Our body chemistry also changes and our nociception (this is our body’s way of receiving and transmitting danger messages that result in pain) increase as well. Furthermore, often when we are stressed, it is also often during a time of working on an important project that may require countless hours of repetitive labor- be it at the desk or performing some type of physical labor. These are things that always tends to irritate our body, regardless of stress. Is it possible that it was the six hours you spent on your computer during the time that you were stressed that actually flared up your traps? Maybe- maybe not. My question is- WHY are the upper traps or the base of our neck the place we feel it? We have muscles all throughout our bodies…..
How do I permanently fix muscle knots?
My patients and I have successfully treated upper trap tightness dozens of times, and it never involved changing their stress levels. The way I see it, stress is a magnifying glass that’s placed over an already present issue. If you feel like you hold all your stress in your upper traps, the MOST likely reason is…. You’ve got a neck issue!! Ding Ding Ding.
Does the tension in your upper traps ever become so strong its actually uncomfortable, or maybe even painful?
Here is a link to Google Images for referral patterns of irritation in the neck. You can see that vertebrae and discs throughout the neck and even upper thoracic spine refer to the upper trap region. That pain referral presents first and foremost in the form of tightness.
Big picture on upper trap tightness
In my own professional opinion (for right or wrong but always based in research), muscle knots do not form out of the blue. And they do not appear simply from stress. Occasionally they form from overuse, but typically they form as a result from some level of irritation in the spine or another joint. This means that you can stretch the muscles, rub it out with a thera-gun, get dry needled, get massaged, etc. and it is always going to feel great and give you some relief. However, if you truly want to treat the problem and see it disappear, you need to uncover the true source of the pain and treat that. Treat the cause, not the effect!
What do I do about upper trap tightness?
I provide exercises online with hesitancy because every person is different and I do not want to provide an exercise that will make someone worse without being able to help them through it. That being said, proceed at your own risk and stop if these hurt. Here are three exercises that could provide lasting relief if you do them throughout your day. If they work for you, AWESOME! If not, don’t give up hope! These exercises only scratch the surface of your recovery potential.
- Chin retractions- Do these in sets of 10 intermittently through your day. Here is a link.
- Thoracic extension- Also do in sets of 10 through day. Here is a link.
- Foam roller- Roll your upper back up and down on a foam roller. This works not because of the massage it gives the muscle, but because of the way it bends your spine.
If you have tightness in your upper traps, base of skull, hamstrings or have any other muscle tightness through your body and would like help, please reach out to us. We would LOVE to help you get back to 100%.
I hope this article was helpful!!
Best,
Dr. Trem