Most frequently asked question...
WHAT ARE KNOTS AND WHY DO WE GET THEM?
As a massage therapist this question gets asked all of the time and the things we call 'knots' are quite hard to explain. For one, they are being studied by scientists as to why we get knots as there is no definite explanation backed up by scientific evidence. In my field of work, I have adopted what some would say is a 6th sense for knots as I can source them out quickly, however I often get asked what I am feeling when I find a knot. Hopefully in this little blog post I aim to offer an insight into the mystery behind knots and make you more self aware when it comes to your own body.
When I get asked mid treatment what a knot is, I often explain it using strawberry laces as a visual that everyone can relate to. If we had a pack of strawberry laces, all neat in a row representing our muscles fibres, a knot would be where somewhere along one or many of the laces becomes compressed, twisted or tied up. As a consequence of the change in the laces, muscle fibres that were once smooth and aligned are now constricted and their state has changed. The words I commonly use when feeling knots are tight, tense, gritty, solid, resistive and sometimes even gnarly! I find it hard to describe what I feel but when there's a knot, I know it!
Getting a little more technical now... When our muscles contract, the part of the muscle fibre that does this is called the sarcomere. Imagine the sarcomere as moving your hands together allowing your fingers to interlock. That is the motion the sarcomere produces, two parts coming together to create a contraction. A knot or another term used is 'trigger point' exists when the sarcomere is over stimulated and is in a constant state of contraction, preventing the sarcomere from releasing from its interlocked position.
When a sarcomere is in this state, it gets deprived from oxygen as the blood flow is impeded due to the constant contraction. This is why we get what is called lactic acid build up in our muscles, as a waste bi product. When this is all happening, that area of the muscle sends out pain signals, therefore explaining why we feel in pain with knotted areas.
A - this is a normal muscle fibre in its resting state
B - a knot in the muscle fibre with sarcomeres in a state of continuous contraction, making the muscle fibre shorter and wider.
C - a stretched muscle fibre (note the gap is wider than picture A), caused by tension withing the knot.
As previously mentioned, there is no definitive explanation as to why we get knots, but if we think logically about it with the information above we could think of a few reasons as to why...
1. Over use of specific muscle groups on a daily basis e.g. working at a computer using the same muscles to move a mouse, to type on a keyboard etc.
2. Posture - if we hold ourselves in a certain way, we can be putting pressure on specific muscles making them tired and overworked. Other muscle groups become weak as we are not engaging them as we should be.
3. Excessive exercise can lead to extremely knotty muscles. A varied exercise regime maximising use of all muscle groups rather than using one specific group. Stretching and massage help eliviate the muscle knots. This will help to prevent DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) caused by lactic acid build up in the muscles which was mentioned above. Rest days and regular stretching and massage is key to manage this.
So next time you come to me for a massage treatment you will have more knowledge on what I am doing to help you from those dreaded knots! As part of my treatments I use specific techniques that I have studied to realign those muscle fibres and get them to relax, so you can relax too! I aim to get a few blog posts in before I go off on my travels at the end of the year, but I hope you all are easing yourself into autumn nicely (the trees are stunning!) and take care of your bodies as we approach colder teritory!
BW Massage Therapy x
P.S check out my latest christmas vouchers that are available now to purchase! (10 week countdown) eeeek!
