While many people experience muscle knots, many of us also don’t know exactly what they are. Muscle knots are areas of muscle that feel hard and sensitive and can cause pain. They become “knotted” because that area of muscle is being constantly tightened and contracted even when your body is at rest. There are many potential causes of muscle knots. Aspects of your lifestyle such as being overly sedentary, unhealthy eating habits, and over-stressing can contribute to the formation of muscle knots. They can also be caused by overused or injured muscles and even poor posture.
How Can You Treat Muscle Knots?
There are many different ways to treat muscle knots. These treatments can include resting, exercising, and stretching. In many treatments, the goal is to increase blood flow to the area to help loosen up the affected muscle. One of the most effective ways this can be achieved is through massage therapy.
How Different Massage Services Can Help
Many different massage services work to improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and treat pain or soreness. All of these elements of a massage can be beneficial for treating muscle knots. However, the many different massage services available utilize different techniques to achieve slightly different results. Some of the massage services offered at Cedar Massage that can be beneficial to treating muscle knots include:
- Swedish massage – this massage service uses a more gentle technique that can help to reduce tension. This massage is particularly good for treating muscle knots if your muscles are too sensitive for a harder pressure massage.
- Deep tissue massage – this massage service deeply penetrates the layers of muscle and tissue, helping to break down knotted areas, provide pain relief, and promote healing.
- Hot stone massage – one way to treat muscle knots is by applying heat. With this massage service, heat and pressure are used not only to provide relaxation but can also help to relieve some of the tension that is contributing to the muscle knot.
While there are several different massage services that can be beneficial to treating muscle knots, it is also important to note that you may need more than one massage service to see full improvement.