Imagine you just completed a tough upper body workout. His muscles feel a little tired, but overall he’s in good spirits for the rest of his day.
The next morning, when I woke up, I noticed that the back of my shoulder blade was stiff. Rubbing her shoulder muscles feels like sticking little gumballs under her skin. Every time she tries to move the area feels tight and has slight pain.
Over the next few days, your back will slowly loosen up and eventually your shoulders will return to feeling normal. Hmm. So what happened to that muscle knot?
I’m an exercise physiologist. The goal of much of my research is to understand how different movements and forms of exercise stress muscles. is not just about what you do during your workout. It’s also about how best to prepare your body for stress exercise and recover from it.
Some of the most common questions I’ve heard over the years as a personal trainer and researcher in this field concern muscle knots. What are they and how can I get rid of them when they occur?
What are muscle knots?
Muscle knots that feel as small as a marble and as large as a golf ball are called myofascial trigger points. Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that surrounds muscles.
Any damage to the muscle can cause inflammation in the band of muscle and the overlying fascial layer. And the inflamed mass of tissue is the fascial trigger point. Small lumps are usually soft to the touch and can limit range of motion and cause pain during various movements.
The muscle hump is undetectable on medical imaging scans, and researchers are trying to figure out the exact physiological mechanisms within the muscle that trigger this response.
Myofascial trigger points tend to occur when a muscle is stimulated by new or more intense repetitive motion than usual. may be possible.
It can also occur if you introduce new movement patterns into your daily workout. Imagine adding a few days of running to your normal weekly routine of just lifting weights. .
You don’t have to be a gym rat to get used to muscle knots, though. For example, you may notice bumps on your upper back and shoulders from slouching in front of your computer all day. Most people don’t find sitting at a desk strenuous, but staying in the same position for hours at a time stresses your muscles.
How to get rid of muscle cramps
One of the easiest solutions to muscle hump problems is to just wait. It takes time for your muscles to adapt to new movements and recover from stress. Usually within 1-2 weeks the muscle lumps will go away on their own.
It also helps speed up the recovery process. Some options include massage. Dry needling involves inserting a very thin needle into a trigger point in an attempt to break up some tissue and increase blood flow to the area. and even electrical stimulation.
The goal of each technique is to reduce fascia and muscle tension in the area and increase blood flow. increase.
While these techniques are worth considering, there are other cost-effective ways you can do it yourself at home. A fairly easy way to relieve a muscle hump is stretching. Stretching is especially helpful if you often sit in awkward positions throughout the day.
Muscles held so for several hours under constant stress benefit from going through different ranges of motion. muscle tension is relieved, helping to avoid or reduce the build-up of muscle knots.
Another method you can try at home is called self-myofascial release. The idea behind it is the same as massage, but this method can be done in the comfort of your own home using a foam roller, a rolling device, a firm ball such as a lacrosse or softball, or a small piece of PVC pipe. increase. .
For example, if you have a knot in the quadriceps muscle group on the front of your thigh, you can lie down on a foam roller and slowly roll your legs back and forth on it. You can also rotate the device up and down along your muscle group while holding it.
Apply as much pressure as you like so you can work within your pain tolerance. This is because relaxing myofascial trigger points can be uncomfortable. This technique can be used anywhere there is a muscle hump.
They can be annoying, but muscle knots are nothing to worry about. Keeping your exercise routine consistent and moving your body throughout the day can help prevent muscle knots from forming in the first place. Please do not forget.
If you notice a muscle hump, stretching at the end of the day or trying a self-myofascial release technique is an easy way to reduce this problem and avoid future problems. is an effective method.
Zachary Gillen, assistant professor of exercise physiology at Mississippi State University, said:
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Please read the original article.
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