First of all what does a knot feel like? Do you suspect that you may have a knot in your muscles? Countless people get knots in their muscles every day and don’t know what to do about the situation. If you think you may have a knot, consider the following guide to help you determine if you have a knot—and how using a modern massage gun can help.
What Does A Knot Feel Like?
First things first: do you actually have a knot in your muscles? Muscle knots are defined as small raised areas that are similar in appearance to bumps. Knots are caused by muscle fibers or muscle bands, called fascia, which tense and tighten into a bump-like structure. Muscle knots are often painful to the touch; this is called the “trigger point.” When the trigger point is pressed, it can cause pain that spreads from that point to the nearby muscles.
Knots can occur in the neck, shoulders, shins, back and even your calf. Muscle knots can cause some significant problems if left untreated, so if you suspect you have them, you will need to take care of it as soon as possible.
Benefits of massage for knotted muscles
Massage is one of the ways that knotted muscles can be treated. Massage can help soften the tightened fascia, resulting in the knot becoming looser, smaller, until it finally releases completely. If you don’t have access to a professional massage therapist or if you’d rather tackle the problem at home, you have a few options. You can try to massage it out with your hands—or you can use a massage gun, which is much more effective and quicker in dealing with knotted muscles.
How to use a massage gun to help your muscles
If you want to use a massage gun to help your muscle knots, you’re in luck: they can be an effective way to loosen knotted muscles and help you get back on the right track. To use a massage gun for knotted muscles, make sure you consider the following steps.
Choose the right kind of massager. There are different types of handheld massagers out there, but when it comes to muscle knots, you want to look for a percussion massage. A percussion massager uses a percussion technique that can help loosen tight muscles considerably.
Use a heated model. There are both heated and non-heated models of percussion massager. When treating knots, make sure you opt for one which has a heated element. The heat will increase blood flow in the area and improve the ability of other massagers to loosen and relax the gathered muscle fibers.
Don’t go overboard on your first use. If you have never used a massage gun to treat knotted muscles before, it’s best to start with a short session so that you can get a feel for using the massage gun and how well it works on your body.
Remember, if you have knotted muscles, don’t wait to treat them! Use a massage gun to take care of your knots today.