THE NEW YORK TIMES – If you’ve ever had a shoulder massage or used a foam roller, you have probably found a few small painful bumps deep in a muscle. Once you’re aware of these bulges — called myofascial trigger points, or muscle knots — they can be tough to ignore.
How do you get rid of them?
Many knots will go away on their own after a week or two. But a few treatments can help to reduce pain and accelerate healing.
Heating pads and ice packs
Studies suggest that both heat and ice can help to reduce muscle knot pain.
While they won’t break up the knots themselves, heating or ice packs are “almost always useful for symptomatic improvement,” said Dr. Lynn Gerber, a professor emerita at George Mason University who has spent decades studying and treating muscle knots.
Stretching
Stretching won’t eradicate knots, either, but it can also help reduce pain, in part by increasing fluid in the surrounding tissue, which allows everything to “slide and glide” more easily, Dr. DaPrato said.
Experts recommend stretching either after exercise, when your muscles are warmed up, or before bed.
Massage
Massage can help to relieve muscle knot pain, as well as temporarily relax the contractions that cause knots — but usually only for a day or two.
Researchers theorize this has to do with blood flow: When a therapist presses on the tissue around a knot, it restricts blood flow to the area, said Zachary Gillen, an assistant professor of exercise physiology at Mississippi State University.
Then, when the pressure is lifted, blood rushes in, which helps the contraction to relax and brings nutrients to the area.
Self-massage with a lacrosse ball or foam roller can have a similar effect. For knots that are impacting your quality of life, a physical therapist can perform targeted massage and also guide you through strategic exercises …
