Ever felt a crunch when massaging a knot? That crunchy feeling can be scar tissue, metabolic waste buildup, or fascial adhesions in your muscle. Muscle knots can be present in both superficial muscles, like the trapezius, and deeper ones like the rhomboids, which reside under the trapezius.
What's going on inside the muscle? Lack of blood supply to the muscle causes lactic acid to build up, over time this can solidify with calcium deposits and is often the reason we hear a crunching sound when trying to realise the knots.
Potential Causes of Crunchy Muscles
These knots are areas of muscle fibers that have become tightly contracted and can feel like small, firm lumps within the muscle. When you press on them or move the muscle, they might produce a sensation akin to crunchiness.
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. This release can alleviate local and referred pain associated with trigger points.
Generally, these noises are due to air bubbles forming in the spaces between the joints. They are not typically a cause for concern.
Neck crepitus is a crunching or crackling sound when the neck is moved. It generally represents a release of gas bubbles from the spine's joints in the neck. These are called facet joints. Similar to many other joints in the body, they have lubricating fluid and can develop gas bubbles with changes in pressure.
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.
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.
Fascia-Related Muscle Pain and Stiffness
Healthy fascia is smooth, slippery and flexible. Factors that cause fascia to become gummy and crinkle up (called adhesion) include: A lifestyle of limited physical activity (too little movement day after day) Repetitive movement that overworks one part of the body.
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.
Crystalline deposits of waste products such as calcium and uric acid accumulate around nerve endings on the foot and feel 'crunchy'. A swelling or just a strange sensation could indicate a possible problem in the related zone.
A weekly or bi-weekly session could prevent these knots from escalating. Conversely, severe knots, causing considerable pain and restricted movement, may require more frequent attention, possibly two to three sessions per week initially. Knowing the severity is key in how often you should get a massage for knots.
Some muscles become rock hard when the supply of blood is less available. Breaking up the physical knot and bringing oxygen in will gradually restore normal function.
Since pain is typically the notifying factor that you have a knot in your muscle, it's important to tell your massage therapist exactly where you're feeling the discomfort so they can assess the area. Massage therapists are trained to find knots by locating tension near the spot of the knot.
There's no risk in doing this, Press says. That's just air or gas bubbles being released in the synovial fluid around the joint.
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.
Softly working the affected areas with your hands can be incredibly beneficial for reducing muscle knots. A specific kind of massage therapy called myofascial release therapy relies on constant, deep, gentle pressure to help release the tension and break up some of those constricted tissues in localized areas.
You'll use a foam roller or roller massager to gently apply pressure to your fascial tissues. Some studies have shown using a foam roller for self-myofascial release has helped increase joint range of motion. You should ask your healthcare provider before trying any self-treatment.
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common muscle condition characterized by painful trigger points. Vitamin D deficiency has been recognized as a precipitating factor of MPS.
Experiencing soreness or tight muscles is normal after a massage, especially if it's been a while since your last massage or you've never had one. Bodner points out that this discomfort usually lasts a few hours to about a day and a half.
When fascia releases, it can feel like taffy softening. Sometimes people may feel cold or heat, tingling or buzzing, burning, or a sense of water or air moving through the area. They may also notice a sensation in an area other than that being treated.
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.
Ligaments or tendons snapping over bones can cause cracking sounds due to sudden release of tension. Ligaments and tendons both attach to bones. In some cases, it may be possible for a moving ligament or tendon to make a snapping sound as it moves around a bone and/or over each other.
The various muscle fibers start to stick to each other and become adhered. This new hard and lumpy feeling is a muscle 'knot'. Muscle 'knots' are incredibly common but common doesn't mean they are normal or harmless. Chronic stress on our muscles creates micro-tearing of muscle tissue, which creates scar tissue.