Muscle knots can span a great range in intensity from sharp to dull pain. What causes these knots to occur? Is there anything you can do to get rid of a knot in your neck, back, shoulder, etc.?
What Is a Muscle Knot?
When muscle fibers tighten up and then do not relax, a knot is formed. This can happen when a muscle is overused or over a period of time or when it is used incorrectly. The term knot is used because the tightened fibers give the feeling of a knot existing under the skin.
An injury can also cause knots to occur. For example, if someone is in a car accident, falls, or suffers a sports injury, a knot can form. It could also be caused by something as simple as falling asleep in the passenger seat of a car with the neck in a funny position. A misalignment can also be to blame as this causes muscles to tighten and shift in an attempt to correct the problem.
While you may not be able to avoid things like a fender bender, you definitely can help to reduce knots by using proper posture when lifting heavy items or while sitting at a desk for long periods of time.
What Can Help Relieve Muscle Knots?
The good news is that muscles knots can be helped easily depending on how bad the knot is. An easy knot may be fixed by a massage from a loved one. A more intense knot may require a licensed massage therapist. However, if you are seeing knots appear regularly, especially in the neck shoulders, and back, the underlying problem could be a misalignment. If that is the case, knots will continue to return until the primary issue is corrected.
When the upper cervical spine is out of alignment, this can cause muscles to tighten throughout the neck, back, and shoulders. Correcting the misalignment may quickly resolve knots, especially those in the neck. Other knots that are further from the source but still related may be gradually relieved as the body heals from the damage of the original misalignment. Either way, seeing an upper cervical chiropractor may be the best way to attain long-term relief from those muscle knots.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Dublin, California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Dr. Andrea Pritchett of Vital Life Wellness Center in Dublin, California is an Dublin Chiropractor and Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). Her upper cervical clinic also serves Pleasanton, Livermore, San Ramon and Danville. She is uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including children’s conditions such as ear infections, colic and scoliosis and problems that adults face including migraines and other headaches, fibromyalgia, sciatica, neck and back pain, and more. More information can be found on our website at http://www.vlifewellness.com/
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