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.
Sometimes, firm pressure encourages your muscle to release. You can use your hands or a foam roller to apply pressure. Simply find the knot and press on it as hard as you can tolerate. Do this several times a day until the muscle feels better.
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.
When you massage a knot, it often feels like you are stretching a rope or taffy which is stuck in your muscle tissues. This may be a result of increased blood flow to the site of tension, but it also may be due to the relaxation of the connective tissue that surrounds your muscles (called fascia).
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.
Massage increases blood circulation into the muscles. An increase of blood circulation delivers more oxygen and nutrients to soft tissues. Massage increases temperature and allows the muscles to relax. Relaxed muscles decrease in tone and reduce tension.
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.
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.
With proper use and caution, muscle massage guns can be an effective tool for managing muscle knots and improving overall quality of life.
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.
The trigger point is manually manipulated until it releases with a satisfying sensation associated with tension release. Essentially, this breaks up the fascial scar tissue and relieves the symptoms connected with it.
Understanding the Basics of Muscle Knots
These discomforts are often due to muscle knots, areas where muscle fibers have tensed up and refused to let go, leading to what feels like small, hard lumps within your muscle.
The first sensation you'll get is a springing give that feels like a release. This is the tissue's elastic component giving way, which means you stop there, you won't see a long-term difference right away because it takes time to get deeper into the more plastic part of the tissue.
Muscle knots don't always require treatment, but for the most part, they don't go away on their own. Seek help if you have persistent pain from a muscle knot after trying some self-care methods like stretching or if the knot is restricting your normal movement.
Kneading smaller areas, like your neck, with a trigger point massage can also benefit small muscle knots, while massage rollers can be used as tools to help that process along in wider areas.
Massage guns are designed to help improve muscle recovery, increase blood flow, and reduce muscle soreness and tension. While using a massage gun may help to improve circulation, it is not designed to burn fat directly.
Percussive massage helps distribute the thickened fascia fluid to relieve the pressure and tightness you feel. Repeated pressure at high speed thins the fluids, making the fascia more pliable so that your muscle can move more easily and efficiently.
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.
Over time, if not addressed, chronic muscle tension causes other changes in the muscle tissues, which become stiff and hardened (and sometimes stuck together) – a process called fibrosis. Because the natural toxins become trapped inside the muscle they often solidify – similar to the limescale build up in a kettle.
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.
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.
Direct Trauma: Injuries to the shoulder region, such as falls, accidents, or sports-related impacts, can damage the muscles and connective tissues around the shoulder blades. This trauma can lead to muscle knots as the body attempts to heal and protect the injured area.