How does a Muscle Knot Happen?
According to research out of George Mason university, 85% of the population is affected by muscle knots. These uncomfortably tense muscle fibers occur when a range of muscles contract at rest. The muscle fibers can feel swollen and bumpy, and could be a result of muscle overuse, poor posture, stress or anxiety and/or just an inactive lifestyle. While they can technically be located anywhere in the body, they typically occur more often in the back, glutes, neck and shoulders area.
Getting Rid of Muscle Knots
Releasing knots can be tedious and time consuming. There are multiple ways to go about breaking down the tissue, the biggest ones being rest, stretching, electrical muscle stimulation, and trigger point pressure release. This article will break down the specifics of each of those in the next couple paragraphs.
Resting from the activities that are causing the muscle knots is beneficial by giving the body time to repair and recover. Paired with gentle stretching, this can help elongate and ease the tension felt within the muscle or muscles afflicted. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds and ease out of it, being careful to not force any stretches to the point of pain.
Trigger point pressure therapy is done by applying pressure to the muscle knot (can be done yourself or by a specialized practitioner). After pressure is applied for an extended period of time, releasing pressure increases a rush of blood to the area of pain. This method might be a bit uncomfortable at first, but the point of pressure should be activated until pain subsides.
Electrical muscle stimulation works similarly to pressure point massage. Circulation is stimulated by sending small electrical impulses to the area of pain through electrode pads. This sends oxygenated blood to the source of the muscle knot and aids the body's natural healing system while also reducing pain associated with the tense muscle fibers. If you are still on the lookout for a strong but effective EMS Unit, we highly recommend the wireless VPod. It has 24 different functions (including trigger point massage) and a customizable intensity and time setting. Visit VPod.Life to learn more about this all-in-one unit and all it's natural benefits.
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Happy Healing!