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Knot in a muscle

A simple series of questions, I think? What is a knot in a muscle? How is it formed? And how does massage make it go away?

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Permalink Reply by Kim Galliher on May 11, 2011 at 5:15am

A knot is where muscle spindles within the muscle have become compressed into one small area. Applying iscehmic pressure to the knot cuts off oxygen to the spindles which allows them to release and spread out a little or a lot if you happen to be completely successful...or so we were taught in school.

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on May 11, 2011 at 7:36am

Kim, thanks for replying But if that's true, and I don't think so? What causes the muscle spindles to compress into a small area in the first place. And why would lack of oxygen make them spread out again?

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Permalink Reply by Jody C. Hutchinson on May 11, 2011 at 9:02am

Here's my best shot:

Cells in the muscle fibers interlock like velcro hook and loop. Acetycholine is necessary for this-Botox blocks this-so no contraction. The muscle becomes fatigued due to posture, lack of conditioning, etc, and the fibers stay locked together.

Massage makes these go away by manually lengthening fibers, washing out any metabolic wastes, and by restoring circulation.

I'd suggest looking at Dr. Travell's trigger point books, I think there is a good explanation.

Hope this helps,

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Permalink Reply by Kim Galliher on May 11, 2011 at 11:24am

I don't have a clue as to why ischemic pressure would release the knot, my teacher didn't go into that. I will have to ask. I did misspeak and say oxygen went I meant blood. Ischemic pressure blocks blood flow to the knot.

You say you don't think that is the right answer so I am curious as to what the right answer is then. Since we just learned this last week I'd to think I was being taught the right things and have a problem if that is not the case.

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Permalink Reply by Gary W Addis, LMT on May 11, 2011 at 8:13pm

Kim, I too am still a student. Your reply makes sense to me.

Kim Galliher said:

I don't have a clue as to why ischemic pressure would release the knot, my teacher didn't go into that. I will have to ask. I did misspeak and say oxygen went I meant blood. Ischemic pressure blocks blood flow to the knot.

You say you don't think that is the right answer so I am curious as to what the right answer is then. Since we just learned this last week I'd to think I was being taught the right things and have a problem if that is not the case.

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on May 12, 2011 at 2:54am

Hmm.....How do I say this???? Well first off...I'm not trying to start any aguments in here...Or challenge anyone as to what they think.or whats real...Like my way or the highway... Im right your wrong kinda thing... But Ive been doing this kind work for 26 years now..So I think what I say should at least be considered. That's all... Not saying that I might not change my mind later?...And Jody Hutchenson gave a really interesting answer, that made sense...But I came up with something comletely different?? I think they are both true.. And I will try to integrate Jody's definition, in with mine.. Does that make sense? Anyway .. Hardly any massage school teaches what a knot in a muscle is, from what I can tell?? And I find that very very interesting.. Because when you consider that 85% of all pain is caused directly from trigger points( knots ) in muscles, and that trigger points are involved in 95% of all pain syndromes...Seems important to know? If you ask me?? Anyway..........

Your muscles are made up of bundles of cells.. They are long and skinny like the hairs on your head. Wrapped around each muscle cell is an organelle called a Sarcoplasmic Recticulum. One of the things the sarcoplasmic recticulum does is to control calcium flow within the cell...So when there is an electrical signal from the brain for the muscle cell to contract. The sarcoplasmic recticulum exudes calcium from its membrane, and that calcium mixes with a protein in the cell called myosin. That starts a chain reaction, and then the muscle cell( fiber ) contracts...Then when there is an electrical signal from the brain for the muscle cell to relax or lengthen ... The sarcoplasmic recticulum reobsorbs the calcium , seperating it from the myosin, and the muscle fiber relaxes.

Now do to stress. And stress is a big word( Emotional Tension,Repetitive movements, a blow from an accident, sudden movement ,or whatever) the sarcoplasmic recticulum can rupture or beak...And when it breaks, the calcium just leaks out,and mixes with the myosin thats present in the area.. So whatever muscle fibers run through that mxsture, they Contract. And thats your Knot.. An area of contracted muscle fibers within a relaxed muscle..

Anyway, when you find a Knot, Trigger Point, Sore Spot or whatever you wanna call it...When you press on it, you are pushing that calcium myosin mixture out of the area.. Back into the venous system. Then the muscle fibers can open up and lengthen..Now the cellular damage is still there. But now the fresh blood can get in and repair the damage(broken sarcoplasmic recticulum ) .. That's why trigger points tend to linger ,until they get stretched out or pressed out . The capillary flow is cut off... So that's what I figured out about massage as it pertains to do with knots in muscles..... But I don't hear that being taught in schools schools? Not sure what that means? .Considering that 85% of all pain is directly caused from knots in muscles.. And that's why I thought your answer was not correct. But not saying I know everything.. Cause I know I don't - Gordon.

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Permalink Reply by Kim Galliher on May 12, 2011 at 5:17am

Right or wrong, it was a better explanation than we got in school...and that is bothersome to me. Thanks for the info.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Cohen on May 12, 2011 at 5:53am

For 10s of thousands of years people have massaged to eliminate painful "knots" or "bola". It has worked for all that time. Now perhaps we have an explanation for why it works. Amazingly it still works.

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on May 12, 2011 at 6:27am

If I was teaching massage therapy....It would be way different..

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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on May 12, 2011 at 3:04pm

Read the discussion ( thread) ,,,, Systems science thinking in Anatomy,,, You will get an idea how I think.. Not that its the best way or the only way...Its just different then what you learn in school..

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Permalink Reply by Therese Schwartz on May 12, 2011 at 9:49pm

Any thoughts on why some muscle knots "thunk" and some "crunch"? I was taught that the crunchy stuff was lactic acid but that myth has been busted. The only thing I could come up with that made sense was that it's the difference between the muscle belly and the bony attachments. Would love some discussion on this!