What is a 'knot' in a muscle
I often get asked what a 'knot' is...
People are constantly saying things like, “I have a huge knot in my back” or “I’m all knotted up!” So what does this actually mean? Can a muscle actually get tied in a knot?
First of all, let me explain a little bit about muscle tissue. Muscle fibres run in all different directions throughout our body and the muscles are layered on top of each other. This is a good thing and the reason why we can bend, twist, stretch and play sports
Our muscles are meant to be pliable, strong, and challenged in every day life. However, when we sit still for long periods, for example sat at a computer all day or if we are chronically dehydrated, we can lose our mobility and flexibility in the muscles. The various muscle fibres 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 harmless, they should always be treated. Chronic stress on our muscles creates micro-tearing of muscle tissue, which creates scar tissue which in turn, can be extremely painful. Unfortunately, if left untreated, the muscle tissue will continue to lose elasticity and cause postural stress that is hard to reverse
