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.
Synovial fluid is the lubricating fluid found in your joints, helping to reduce friction and allowing for smooth movement. When the pressure within this fluid changes quickly, gas bubbles form and collapse, producing the characteristic popping or cracking sound.
Why do muscle knots feel Crunchy? Muscle knots can feel “crunchy” when toxins start to build up inside of the knot. Then they start to solidify. A massage can help release these toxins and the knot.
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.
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.
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.
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.
1. What are the general massage frequency guidelines? It is generally recommended to get a massage once a month to maintain the benefits of relaxation and stress relief. However, some individuals may benefit from more frequent sessions, especially if they have specific health concerns or physical discomfort.
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.
Alternative therapies such as acupuncture and massage. “The muscles around the neck can become tense or stiff, which can contribute to pain and crepitus,” says Dr. Walter. Treatments like acupuncture or massage may help loosen those muscles and create more space at the joints, which may help with symptoms.
What are they? These crunchy deposits are not attached to muscles or tendons as other theories suggest. They appear to be bundles of connective tissue fibers that are mirroring problems in other parts of the body.
Muscle knots are often caused by poor posture and inactivity. Practicing good posture and engaging in regular physical activity may help prevent muscle knots. Many knots develop from repeated muscle trauma, so a person may wish to engage in different activity types to prevent overuse of the same muscles.
Massage therapy techniques can help to relieve, reduce or even prevent muscle knots. Deep tissue massage or sports massage techniques work on the muscles that are tight or have the knots. Trigger point massage can be firm and specific pressure to the areas of restriction or “knots” and cause release of that knot.
They're not usually harmful, but they can certainly be uncomfortable. In rare cases, muscle knots are a sign of a long-term (or chronic) pain condition.
Neck crepitus refers to grinding, crunching, and popping that can be heard and sometimes felt if the cartilage is worn or you have gas bubbles inside the joints. Poor posture, an injury, or degenerative changes can also cause neck crepitus.
Reduced Stress and Tension
Muscle tension may also contribute to stress and tension. Trigger point therapy may help alleviate tension and stress by releasing knots in the muscles. This can result in an overall sense of relaxation.
This myofascial release has a comparable sensation to being rocked by your mother when you were a baby. It causes a pleasant wave sensation to travel throughout the body. It is, in fact, a relaxing experience. That wave infiltrates the restricted areas to allow for softening.
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.
Ever felt a crunch when massaging a knot? That crunchy feeling can be scar tissue, metabolic waste buildup, or fascial adhesions in your muscle.
The body can hold information below the conscious level as a protective mechanism, so these memories tend to become dissociated. During these times of trauma or injury, our fascia system stores a “holographic” image of our body's position, complete with all the fear, anger, sadness, etc. that was present at that time.
Lie on your back and gently smooth out the tight knots with a foam roller or tennis ball underneath your neck and/or upper back. Heat therapy. Applying heat soothes constricted muscles by dilating local blood vessels and increasing blood flow to the painful area.
Movement of joints, tendons, and ligaments—the tendon position changes and moves slightly out of place when a joint is moved. This may cause you to hear a snapping sound when the tendon returns to its original position. Also, your ligaments may tighten as you move your joints, which can make a cracking sound.