Everybody knows the feeling when you've got a knot in your shoulders, or tension that just builds throughout the day in your low back. It can just be nagging pain and then eventually gets the the point where you feel like you need to shift around or press on the muscles to get the pain to go away. It helps for a bit, but then you're back to square one a few minutes later.
If this sounds like you, you're not alone! Tons of people deal with this issue and there is a solution. First, it's important to understand the causes of "muscle knots". Once you understand the cause, you will understand how treatment and rehab advice is beneficial.
As I mentioned, there are multiple causes for muscle knots. Two of the biggest causes are biochemical causes and biomechanical causes. Biochemical causes are related to build up of certain chemicals (Acetylcholine and calcium) within the muscle fibers. (1) This chemical build-up doesn't allow for segments within the muscle to relax. So essentially your muscles stay contracted even though they don't need to be. Imagine contracting a muscle all day and not relaxing...yeah it would not be fun! So you can see why you develop pain and soreness!
Next, there is the biomechanical cause. Like I said above, contracting a muscle all day would not be fun. When it comes to biomechanical causes, it's usually related to repetitive motions that are performed improperly. It can occur in slow twitch muscles with repetitive postures/actions from work, wearing a backpack, or jogging. In fast twitch muscle fibers, this is seen in examples like heel striking during running or slowing the arm down after a throwing motion. (1)
Now that we understand some of the causes and why knots form, we can understand why and how soft tissue therapy and learning proper movement through rehab helps! While you can do many things at home to prevent knots from happening in the first place, sometimes you need a helping hand from a Chiropractor, PT, or Massage therapist.
At home/work, movement is key. Don't stay in one position for too long. If you need to change from sitting to standing throughout the day, do it! Also, take a few stretch breaks throughout the day. Light stretching (this is key...don't overstretch or really "crank" on the muscles) is a great way to stimulate blood flow and the delivery of oxygen to the cells within the muscle. This increased blood flow helps to "flush" the excess build up of Acetylcholine and calcium out of the cell and allows the muscles to relax.
While home care is an important factor, it's also beneficial to have a wellness routine with a manual therapist. Whether you're an athlete or a "desk jockey", you should invest some time and money in your health. You've only got one body, and if you don't take care of it, you can't expect it to perform well in the long run.
Therapies such as Instrument assisted soft tissue, Cupping, percussive therapy, compression, or manual soft tissue work are great ways to stimulate blood flow, decrease knots, increase healing rates and improve range of motion. If you've neglected your body for a while and have gotten to the point that you're dealing with constant pain, it may take multiple treatments or weeks of home care to restore proper function to those tissues. If you are consistent with your recovery routine, you won't have to work as hard to maintain progress and you'll notice fewer setbacks even when you do have a long day at the office or a challenging day at the gym. While I am not a "wellness" practice that wants you to get weekly care, I do like seeing patients on a monthly or every other month basis. Those patients do really well and don't seem to have major flare ups after their initial treatment plan because they take consistent care of their bodies.
If you're struggling with muscle and joint pain, don't wait any longer! Get in touch and figure out if you're a good candidate for care! At Rose City Sport and Spine, we offer a variety of different soft tissue treatments, chiropractic adjustments, and rehab advice. Give us a call at 717-228-8536 or book online at Rosecitychiro.com by clicking "book now"!
-Dr. Henly
Source
(1) Rosengart, Michael. “Soft Tissue Therapy - Explained.” Prehab Exercises, 10 Jan. 2021, prehabexercises.com/soft-tissue-therapy/.