Why do muscle knot form?

Skhandelwal

I know that the muscle doesn't actually knot, so what is that hard lump in your muscle that you can feel when you press on it? And how to heal it naturally?(instead of massaging)

I know warming up/cooling down/stretching helps but sometimes, it just isnt enough.

jmnew51

That "knot" is inflammation.

How to heal it?....Ice it for 10 mins. Cool it for 20 mins. Repeat this 3 times. 3 times a day.

I have used this with great success to heal all kinds of injuries incured from being a long distance runner, from soreness to stress fractures.

And don't forget, keep it elevated whenever possible and stay well hydrated at all times.

Jim

Skhandelwal

Thx...would you also know of any preventative measures I should take next time I work out? I suppose I have those b/c of something I do wrong while working out. Is it that I shouldn't push myself?

jmnew51

You have to push yoursrlf to make gains, key is to not overdue it. This is best accomplished by listening to your body. Takes a little practice.

I assume you're talking about weight training?

When I first started working out with weights it took almost a year before I could push my muscles indefinetly without suffering some soreness afterwards.

If you are just starting out do not push yourself, just have fun with it for a while till you're confident you can add more stress. And at the first sign of overstress back off on that muscle group. Remember there's always tomorrow. The gains you make will come more rapidly if you take it slow. The saying "Haste makes waste" has never applied better in this situation.

Always do some kind of warm-up before you work out. I walk a mile or so at fast pace before any long run.

With weights I do 2 light (50% of max) before I do the 3 at full intensity. Then do something in between and after your sets to keep the blood moving.

Try not to mix aerobics and weights on the same day, it's just too much, unless your just doing some light maintenance work.

Make sure you keep well hydrated and eat a well balanced diet and also very important get plenty of sleep.
Believe me I've learned that from the pro's.

Hope this helps

Jim

Ouabache

I am going to emphasize a point that jmnew also made. I discussed muscle knotting (cramping) with my physician with reference to scuba diving. When diving in cooler water, I often experience muscle knotting especially in my legs.. My physician, who has a subspecialty in hyperbaric medicine, told me I was becoming dehydrated from the exertion. He recommended as a preventative measure, to drink more fluids (hydrate) before my dive (exercise).

Moonbear

Based on the answers to this thread (all good advice), I think it may be necessary for Skhandelwal to clarify what he means by a muscle knot. It seems there are responses here that apply to two different conditions, and I'm not sure which Skhandelwal meant since I previously only considered one of those to be a muscle "knot." I usually think of a muscle knot as that which Oubache refers, where this is a cramping, or persistent, painful contraction of a muscle where you feel an area of tension if you palpate the area. These usually resolve soon after on their own with some rest and relaxation, and preventing them is more the issue than doing something about them after the fact.

However, jmnew is also referring to something that I could see being called a knot, and that would be the prolonged inflammation from a muscle injury, or the achiness of muscles following excessive exertion. I've never referred to this as a knot before, but it raises the question that this "lay" term may mean different things to different people.

For the sake of clarity in the thread, and to ensure everyone is discussing the same thing, Skhandelwal, can you please clarify your question by defining what you mean when you call something a muscle knot?

Skhandelwal

I mean pressure point.