We had a patient the other day at Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness who was in for her routine adjustment. As I was getting a feel for where the mis-alignments were in her spine, I was using my hands to push out the tight muscles surrounding the mis-alignment. She asked me what I was doing and I told her I was trying to relax the muscle knots between her shoulder blades.

What is a muscle knot?

Muscle knots, which most people have these days thanks to working on computers, are the product of overworked muscles that are unable to relax. When muscles are unable to relax, muscle fibers become tangled and form a knot that you can feel. Knots cause problems with oxygen and nutrient delivery to the muscles and cause discomfort and pain for you. Sometimes muscle knots go away on their own, but in many cases, steps need to be taken to loosen the muscle and resolve the pain.

In addition to overuse of the muscles, there are other things that contribute to muscle knots:

Poor Posture: Slouching at your desk or on your couch while you scroll through social media is bad for your muscles and contributes to the formation of muscle knots. Make sure to practice good posture to help prevent muscle knots.

Lack of Exercise: Not getting enough movement throughout the day creates tension in the muscles that leads to the formation of knots. Our bodies are built to move – move it or lose it! You need to move and stretch daily to keep your muscle flexible and healthy. Exercise also helps relieve muscle tension.

Dehydration: If you’re not drinking enough water per day, it can make you more prone to developing muscle knots. Limit the amount of coffee and alcohol you drink, because they can dehydrate you. Carry a water bottle with you and sip from it all day long in order to help you stay hydrated throughout your day – it’ll eventually become a habit to drink!

Unhealthy eating habits, stress and anxiety (and who hasn’t had that these days) can all also contribute to muscle knots.

Muscle knots can cause aching and pain. When you touch a muscle knot, it may feel swollen, tense or bumpy. It can also feel tight and contracted, even when you’re trying to relax. Muscle knots can also lead to headaches, earaches and toothaches.

As a society, we’ve been programmed to reach into the medicine cabinet when we feel pain. That is the worst thing you can do as over-the-counter pain relievers can lead to other problems such as stomach and liver issues. Plus these OTC pain relievers only mask the pain, they don’t fix the problem.

So, what does fix the problem?

How to get rid of muscle knots

• As mentioned earlier, exercise! Move and stretch daily. Lift light weights, practice yoga, even do some old school windmills and jumping jacks!

• 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.

• Visit Homberg Chiropractic & Wellness! We can re-align your spine, release the tension in your muscles. We’re also trained in trigger point therapy which can relieve knotted muscles.

• Ultrasound therapy. See above. You’ve likely received ultrasound or electric stim therapy while visiting Homberg Chiropractic. Both of these can help relieve the muscle knots from which are suffering.

• Massage therapy. By receiving regular massages, you can keep your muscles relaxed, cutting down on the chances for muscles to form knots.