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Today is the forecasted doomsday for our planet, and as a result you may have experienced some stress and anxiety leading up to this day. We all have unique ways of physically manifesting our stress; one of the most common is through knots in our muscles. The shoulders are an area that is heavily affected by stress. This is why you may tend you rub your shoulders or see others doing so when under great amounts of pressure. There are several ways of reliving the stress buildup in your muscles: meditation, medication, or massage. 

Massage and relaxation are the healthiest outlets for dealing with stress or knots that build up in your muscles. Massage works to release your physical manifestations of stress and will leave you feeling calmer, and reduce or eliminate your pain.

What causes muscle knots? 
The medical term for muscle knots is myofascial trigger points, which may seem like a complicated name for such a common issue. There is some debate among the medical community about what causes muscle knots but it seems to be connected to an abnormal build up of protein after a release of lactic acid.

How can massage therapy eliminate knots? Massaging these knots can be painful, and you should be exerting targeted force directly on the knots. However, this sort of massage over a period of days both helps the inflammation to go down and “trains” your muscles to relax. If you have numerous or very painful muscle knots, the best thing you can do is see a licensed massage therapist.

How can I prevent future knots? 
Periodic muscle knots are inevitable, but if you’re getting a lot of them, there are several factors to examine. Potassium and calcium help to prevent muscle knots, and remaining hydrated can work wonders.

We hope this post helped to shed some light on how you can live a more pain-free and knot-free lifestyle. If you have any questions related to structural integration or massage, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with Structura, please call us at 801-897-8711.

 

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