How To Get Rid Of Shoulder Knots

How Can I Reduce Knots In My Shoulders

From a reader:

How can I reduce knots in my shoulders ? I work at a computer most of the day, and have tight knots in my shoulders specifically, in my trapezius muscles. How can I reduce the tension in these muscles, without having someone else massage them? Are there self-massage techniques I can use? What are appropriate stretches?

My answer:

EVERYBODY gets tension in the neck and shoulders as well as in between the shoulder blades. This has, of course, increased in these times when were all looking down and hunching up at our phones and laptops. Heres how to get rid of it. Based on the readers questions, Ive broken up my answer into 3 sections below.

How Do I Reduce Tension In These Muscles

This is the most important question. You could have the best therapist to resolve the tension for a time, but if you continue to do the actions that result in the tension and pain, they will just keep coming back and probably keep getting worse.

The most common problem that exacerbates tension and pain in the neck and shoulders is holding the neck in an unnatural position. The two most common are looking down for extended periods and craning the neck and head forward . The answer is to figure out how to keep the head as upright and without rotation as possible, while you relax your shoulders and arms at your sides.

The trapezius itself is, ironically, not the most common cause of neck/shoulder pain in the curve of the shoulder . However, TrP1 at the curve of the neck/shoulder is one of the myofascial TrPs observed the most often :

There are about seven common trigger points located in the upper, middle and lower portions of the trapezius muscle:

Point 7 produces pilomtor activity or gooseflesh to the upper extremity

In study of static loading, Bearns discovered that the upper fibers of trapezius, contrary to universal teaching, play no active part in the support of the shoulder girdle in the relaxed upright posture.

How To Get Rid Of Muscle Knots

Editors Note: The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation.

Imagine youve just completed a tough upper-body workout. Your muscles feel a bit tired, but all in all youre able to go about the rest of your day fine.

The next morning, you wake up and realize the back of your shoulder blade feels stiff. When you rub your shoulder muscles, it feels like youre prodding a little gumball under your skin. Every time you try to move it around, the area feels tight, with slight pangs of pain.

Over the course of the next few days, your back slowly loosens up and eventually your shoulder returns to feeling normal. Its probably something youd like to avoid or minimize in the future if possible, though. So what was going on with that muscle knot?

Im an exercise physiologist. The goal of much of my research is to understand how different movements and forms of exercise place stress on the muscles. Figuring out programs to maximize performance, regardless of training goal, goes beyond what to do during the workout its also about how best to prepare for and recover from the stress exercise places on the body.

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Stretches To Get Rid Of Knots In Shoulders And Traps

Have a minute? If youre tired of feeling tight, check out these 7 quick stretches for getting rid of muscle knots in a pinch. Each stretch takes less than 60 seconds to perform and, with frequency, will help untie those tight knots in your shoulders and traps. As a physical therapist, I use these techniques quite often in the clinic.

How Do You Get Rid Of Muscle Knots

One of the simplest solutions to the problem of muscle knots is to just wait. It takes time for the muscles to adapt to a new motion or recover from stress. Usually within a week or two a muscle knot will resolve on its own.

You can also help speed the process of recovery. Some options include massages dry needling, which involves injecting a thin needle into the trigger point to attempt to break up some of the tissue and increase blood flow to the area and even electrical stimulation. The goal of each technique is to decrease the tautness of the fascia and muscle in the area and increase blood flow. More blood passing through provides nutrients and oxygen to the damaged tissue, enhancing recovery.

While these techniques are worth considering, there are other more cost-effective things you can do yourself at home. A fairly simple way to help alleviate muscle knots is stretching. Stretching may be particularly valuable if you typically sit in an awkward position all day long. Muscles held that way under consistent stress for several hours benefit from being put through different ranges of motion. For example, after sitting for a while, some simple shoulder rolls and neck rotations can alleviate some of the tension in those muscles, helping to avoid or reduce the accumulation of muscle knots.

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Treatment For Muscle Knots

Treating muscle knots can take time. To get rid of the knots, youll need to break up the knotted tissue and calm inflamed nerves. The following are some things you can do to help release the knots and find relief.

• Rest: Allow your body to rest if you have muscle knots. Take a break from any activities that are causing the knots, or that increase your pain or discomfort. Dedicate as much time as possible to relaxation. This may include sleeping longer than usual or lying in a comfortable position using pillows to support your body.

• Stretch: GENTLE stretching that elongates your muscles can help you to release tension in your body. Be gentle with yourself while stretching. Dont force yourself into any positions or do anything that causes pain. For best results, hold stretches for at least 30 seconds, and release the stretch slowly to reduce your risk for injury

• Exercise: Aerobic exercise may help to relieve muscle knots. If the knots are in your shoulders or neck, do arm swings, swimming and any other arm movements that work the muscles in your shoulders and neck. This stretches the muscles and increases their blood supply. Increased blood supply helps filters out toxins.

Best Treatments For A Muscle Knot

The goals of treatment for muscle knots are to lower inflammation and pain and increase mobility, says Daniel DeLucchi, chiropractor and co-owner of Tuttle DeLucchi Chiropractic Seattle in Seattle.

If youre looking to get rid of a sore muscle knot, here are a few things you can do:

Any of these treatments could require a couple of sessions to effectively treat your muscle knot, although you may notice a difference in soreness after just one treatment.

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Deep Knots In Shoulder Blades Remedy #: Self

Stretching is not enough when it comes to releasing a knotted muscle.

If you cant carve out the time to schedule a professional, deep-tissue massage, or you cant fit one into your budget, performing a self-massage with a tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or foam roller can be a cost-effective alternative.

Are Knots In The Neck And Shoulders Related

Your neck is connected to your shoulders. If one muscle group has a knot, the whole area can feel tense and tight. You may notice muscle knots on their shoulder blades after a stressful day of sitting at your computer, or you may have noticed a few muscle knots in the back of your neck.

So, are the knots in the neck and shoulders related or is it a coincidence? It’s not a coincidence. They are related thanks to the trapezius muscle.

The trapezius muscle extends from the base of the skull, down the middle of the back, and sideways to the shoulder. You have two trapezius muscles – one on the right and one on the left.

It is one of the largest muscle groups in the body. It allows you to shrug your shoulders, tilt your head left and right, and support the weight of your arms. The trapezius muscles essentially control your upper body.

Think about all the activities you do every day. Whether it is work, exercise, or playing with your dog, you use your trapezius muscles every day. Its not surprising then, that we hold so much tension in our neck and shoulders. This results in muscle knots.

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Deep Knots In Shoulder Blades Remedy #: Wall Angels

Keep your feet about 4 inches away from the wall and maintain a slight bend in your knees.

Your glutes, spine, and head should all be against the wall as you bring the shoulder blades together and squeeze, forming the letter W with your arms. Hold for 3 seconds.

Now raise your arms to form the letter Y.Make sure not to shrug your shoulders to your ears.

Repeat this 10 times, starting at W, holding for 3 seconds, and then raising your arms into a Y. Do two to three sets.

Can You Treat Muscle Knots At Home

While we recommend seeking the advice of a spine, muscle, and nervous system expert, there are some cases where you can massage the sore muscles yourself. Try following this simple technique:

• Locate the knot in your muscle and, using your fingers, gently massage it out.
• Focus on loosening the tight muscle by pressing down firmly and making small circles.
• If youre finding it difficult to reach the muscle knot in your back, neck, or shoulders, you can try using a tennis ball or foam roller to apply pressure to the knot. Slowly and gently move back and forth to relieve the tension.

Muscle knots in any area of the body are painful and frustrating. Now that you know what they are, what causes them, and how to treat them, we hope youll find relief and get back to enjoying your everyday activities.

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Exercising With A Muscle Knot

If you have a sore muscle knot, your first instinct may be to avoid exercise. Regular physical activity is good for your whole body, so you dont want to rest too much. The caveat is that you may need to modify what youre doing to avoid aggravating the muscle knots pain more.

Taylor shares the example of having sore muscle knots in your pectoral muscles. While seeking treatment for their knots, you could still probably do running and biking, as well as yoga with some modifications, he says. He tells clients that using a pain scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest, their pain should be no higher than a 3 or 4 while exercising.

Before exercising, consider applying heat to your muscle knot for a few minutes as this can help decrease pain, Jones says. Also, do a thorough warm-up for about five minutes to prepare your body for the workout.

While its OK to keep moving, you dont want to do exercise that will aggravate your muscle knot and make it worse, Sol says. Thats where lighter forms of exercise can help, such as:

Great News There Are Multiple Ways To Break Up Muscle Knots

The very basic principle around muscle knots is that they need intervention. The knotted area gets caught in the “Pain-Spasm-Pain” cycle, which causes your muscle knots to stay knotted. What happens first is the knot gets triggered, then a spasm follows suit. This causes more pain and then leads to more spasm. No fun! The pain-spasm-pain cycle will continue until it is interrupted.

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What Causes Muscle Knots

Muscle knots are small pieces of tense muscle that form a hard layer over an area. Most of the time, they develop because they are trying to protect the injured or strained muscle. If the area doesnt heal correctly, it could cause further tension and cause the section around the muscle knot to be sore. Over time, it could also limit your range of motion.

How Do You Release A Trigger Point

The original way is through trigger point release which involves using a squeeze grip or a tool where direct pressure on the trigger point for 30-120 seconds according to research can release and soften a nodule, once released the muscle tissue needs to be moved throughout its full range of motion, which is why your Jul 7, 2017

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Working Out Knots At Home

Muscle Knots Can Develop Anywhere Muscles Are Present

The medical term for muscle knots is myofascial trigger points. These pesky pain spots occur when muscle fibers or fascia tense or tighten and are in a state of constant contraction. Sometimes they are excessively painful and even debilitating. We all experience these nagging pain points from time to time, so how do we get them?

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Treating A Neck Knot At Home

The reality is that it can be difficult to treat a neck knot at home. However, there are some things you can do to try to manage pain and inflammation before youre able to book an appointment for professional assistance. If possible, try to book an appointment for massage or chiropractic care as soon as you notice a neck knot.

Self-massage tactics can sometimes help to soothe muscle pain. Gently making small circles using your fingers in the area of the knot can help to loosen the fiber bundle. If youre having trouble reaching the area, applying a foam roller or tennis ball in a back-and-forth motion can be helpful.

Some people have success with using a combination of hot therapy and cold therapy. With cold therapy, the focus is on applying ice packs immediately after you notice a muscle knot forming. If youve been living with pain from a muscle knot for a few days, a warm compress can be helpful for relaxing the tension that you feel in the muscle by promoting circulation.

Thoughts On How To Get Rid Of Knots On The Top Of Your Shoulders

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