Trigger points (or knots) are areas of muscle that develop tight bands of muscle fibers and fascia that shorten and cannot lengthen back out. This creates a buildup of waste products in the area, such as lactic acid, which causes pain and soreness.
Lactic acid is a waste product of the body's energy metabolism; when it is in constant production, it has nowhere to go but to build up and collect in certain locations. In some cases, this accumulation of lactic acid can cause the muscles to contract, which can lead to muscle knots.
They form as a result of excessive accumulation of two chemicals – acetylcholine and calcium. The excess of the two chemicals leads to lack of oxygen in that area of a muscle which in turn results in muscle fibers contracting like crazy. When muscle fibers contract too much, they form a knot.
If you start doing intense physical activity faster than your body can get oxygen to your muscles and other tissues, your cells break down glucose to create the energy you need to keep moving (anaerobically). Lactic acid is created when you're generating energy anaerobically.
When a muscle is tight like that, it can limit blood flow in that area. The theory is when you put pressure on it you're limiting blood flow to the knot, and when you release the pressure, more blood flows in,” he explains. The increased blood flow can help the muscle relax.
Spoiler alert: knots aren't actual tangles in your muscles (as much as it might feel that way). They're called myofascial trigger points, which are small, tight areas in your muscle fibers that get stuck in a contracted state. This can cause soreness, stiffness, and even pain that radiates to other areas.
It can help loosen up the muscles and reduce the tension in the knot. Trigger Point Massage – During this type of massage a therapist will begin to apply pressure and stretch the muscle knot to release (a.k.a pop) it. You may experience minor discomfort, but long-term relief during this technique.
The symptoms may include a burning feeling in your muscles, cramps, nausea, weakness, and exhaustion. It's your body's way to tell you to stop what you're doing.
It's a post-pain rush similar to the high of morphine or heroin, which also bind to the brain's opioid receptors. Meanwhile, the pain of intense exercise also causes a spike in another of the body's painkillers, anandamide.
Muscle knots don't contain toxins. But some people claim that deep tissue massage can lead to lymphatic drainage and the release of toxins. While the lymphatic system does work to remove waste products from your body, there's limited research on lymphatic drainage treatment in general.
If you notice certain areas knotting up often, ask your doctor about stretches to loosen those muscles and lower the chances of more knots. Ice and heat. Most muscle pain responds well to alternating ice and heat. Use an ice pack on the spot for a short while, and then switch to a warm compress or heating pad.
1) Heat the knotted tissue. This will help soften the surrounding muscle fibers, increase blood flow to the local area, and soften the collagen fibers around the knot. 2) Massage out the waste products that accumulate in knots will help to restore the normal biochemical state within the muscle.
Trigger points, or muscle knots, are hyperirritable spots within a taut band of skeletal muscle. The pressure applied during therapy can cause these points to release, sometimes resulting in a popping sound.
What are muscle knots? Knots are comprised of tense muscle fibers. "Muscle knots are actually hyperirritable spots in muscle or fascial tissue [bands or sheets of connective tissue] known as myofascial trigger points," Charleston says.
When you exercise, micro-tears occur in your muscles, and when your body repairs these tears, certain toxic substances are released. These substances can cause aching muscles and other flu like symptoms.
Several fungi and bacteria cause lactic acid fermentation. Lactobacillus is the most common among them. Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus cerevisiae, Streptococcus lactis, and Bifidobacterium bifidus are also quite common.
Reduced soreness after exercise
Lactic acid builds up in your muscles after exercise or other activity. This build-up often causes pain and soreness. When you use a massage gun after a workout, the percussion forces muscle fibers to release lactic acid, reducing the soreness you'll feel.
Carnosine reduces the buildup of lactic acid. Beta-alanine supplements increase muscle carnosine levels by different amounts, depending on the person.
During a massage treatment, when we stretch this tight tissue you could feel a burning sensation. This is a myofascial release sensation and is generally short lived and quite normal, but not felt by everyone. The intensity and sensations felt, will vary between clients.
In terms of effectiveness, muscle massage guns have been shown to be highly effective in treating muscle knots. One study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine found that using a massage gun for just one minute on each trigger point led to significant reductions in pain and discomfort.
Self-massage
Applying sustained pressure to muscle knots leads to an increase in blood flow, which in turn causes the release of muscle fiber tension. This is called myofascial release.