Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Treat muscle knots
• Method 2 of 3: Adjust your lifestyle
• Method 3 of 3: Dealing with the pain
• Tips
• Warnings

Muscle knots, also called myofascial trigger points, are painful and can even be responsible for headaches. Caused by overuse, abuse, stress, or anxiety, muscle knots can be just as difficult to work out. Knotting muscle knots may require repeated attempts and a variety of techniques, depending on your personal preferences and what works most effectively for your muscles. You can also adjust your lifestyle to prevent new muscle knots from developing and learn some techniques to reduce the pain.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Treat muscle knots

1. Identify muscle knot areas. Some muscle knots hurt without pressure, so they are easy to find. Others don't hurt until you press on it. Gently examine your muscles for pressure points using your fingers. You may feel a knot or bump in the muscle. Many people have muscle knots in the top half of their back, so that's a good place to start.
2. Visit a massage therapist. These experts are trained in muscle therapy and know the best techniques for freeing muscle with knots. They will start to put pressure on the muscle and the area around it. They understand how this process affects surrounding tissues and the rest of your body.
3. Give yourself a massage. Professional masseurs can be expensive, especially if you have to visit one regularly. An alternative is to learn massage techniques that you can use on yourself. Squeeze the muscles gently and rub them in a circular motion. Do this all over your body, even muscles you don't think have knots, to make your whole body feel great.
   • A variety of massage aids and analgesic creams are available to assist you with your personalized massage therapy. One method is to roll a tennis ball around the area while applying light pressure until you feel a slight pain in the muscle knot. Hold the ball in place for 30 seconds, applying pressure. Follow this procedure with other muscle knots.
4. Add hot or cold to the area. Temperature therapy relaxes the affected area.
   • A heating pad or cold compress can relieve some of the pain related to muscle knots.
   • Use a cooling spray in conjunction with stretching.
5. Take a bath. A warm bath helps you and your muscle knots to relax. For added healing, you can stir Epsom salt into the water. A hot shower can help but is not as effective. Stand so that the water flow is aimed at the muscles that are bothering you. You can also try a hot bath.
6. Stretch your muscles. Stretching keeps muscles flexible. Consider starting with tai chi or yoga, which combines relaxation with stretching.
7. Exercise regularly. Movement has a similar effect on muscles as massage therapy. Regular movement stretches the muscles and maintains flexibility, releasing tension.
   • Aerobic exercises are often good for relieving muscle pain, especially those that act on your shoulders, such as swimming.
   • Bikram yoga (hot yoga) offers the benefits of a hot bath with the added value of flexibility exercises. Make sure to follow warnings. That is, get plenty of fluids before you start, and remember to keep taking fluids. Avoid eating a large meal up to three hours before class; stick to light, easy-to-digest foods, which are good sources of electrolytes, such as bananas.During class, if you feel cramps followed by lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, or weakness, leave the room immediately and search a treatment for a heat attack. Most Bikram lessons last 1.5 hours. Talk to the instructor before your first lesson. If you are not used to high temperatures, your goal for your first class may be to stay in the studio for the entire class, rather than completing the exercises with the rest of the class.
8. Try hypnosis. Hypnosis can help relax your muscles and can also help with pain.
9. Visit a physiotherapist. You will learn exercises from a physical therapist that will help you strengthen and stretch your muscles. He or she can also help you make lifestyle changes to avoid muscle knots.

Method 2 of 3: Adjust your lifestyle

1. Work on your workspace. Bending over a computer can worsen muscle knots. Make sure your chair has good back support and that your table is at an appropriate height so that you are not bent over while you work. You can also try aids such as ergonomic keyboards to help with proper posture.
2. Check your posture. Sit and stand up straight to help relax muscle knots. Make sure you don't strain your shoulders.
   • Don't forget to check your attitude even when you're involved in a project. Activities like leaning over tables or even sitting in chairs that don't give you enough back support can also cause muscle knots.
3. Pay attention to how you sit. For example, you may not notice that you normally sit at an awkward angle when watching TV. Maybe you will sink to the left in the car. All of these options can create muscle knots in your shoulders and back, so try to pay more attention to your posture.
4. Ask your friends and family for help. The people you love can kindly help you remember when they notice that you are hanging or in a strange position.
5. Try meditation. Meditation can help you be more aware of your posture, as well as help you relax.
6. Relax consciously. When you find yourself straining your shoulders, consciously relax them. Take a deep breath, and let it go slowly as you imagine exhaling the tension from your shoulders. Repeat as needed.
7. Take your vitamins. Not getting the right nutrients can make you more prone to muscle knots, so eat fruits and vegetables and take vitamins to supplement your diet.
8. Try cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT will not make the knots or pain go away. But it can help you deal with the pain by helping you adjust your posture. In addition, you may need more exercise, and CBT may encourage you to exercise.

Method 3 of 3: Dealing with the pain

1. Use transcutaneous electrical neurostimulators (TENS). TENS uses low voltage electrical current to reduce pain. These systems can be fitted by your doctor or purchased from a pharmacy. You place two electrodes near the pain and the system gives power.
2. Try an anti-inflammatory pain medication. It will ease pain and reduce swelling in the area.
3. Ask your doctor for an injection. Doctors can inject medication at trigger points to help reduce pain. Often he or she will use a local anesthetic.

Tips

• Don't forget to check your sleeping positions as well, which can also lead to muscle knots.

Warnings

• Regular hot baths can worsen skin conditions such as dry skin or eczema. But if your condition is mild, simple solutions are available, such as adding coarse ground oatmeal to the bath, using softer soaps, or applying medical or moisturizing lotions afterwards.