Does Massage Tools Get Rid of Knots
By analyzing data according to a 2022 report by the American Physical Therapy Association, the use of a can help release muscle tension, increase local blood circulation, reduce inflammation, and significantly reduce pain points occurring from muscle knots.
How Muscle Knots Form in the First Place
Muscle knots are common in muscles that become strained or contracted due to repetitive motion, overuse (exercise), and/or poor postural habits. Through prolonged pressure, muscles may develop micro-damage locally, which produces fibrous knots.
Based on clinical data provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, when muscles remain tensed for over three hours, lactic acid can rise to levels that induce cohesion between muscle fibers, leading to the formation of knots.
Remedies to Address Each Type of Muscle Knot
There are three primary types of muscle knots:
Acute Muscle Knots
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Cause: Mostly occur due to a sudden muscle pull or an immediate high strain, such as over-stretching or rapid concentric efforts within a brief period.
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Signs: Excruciating pain at the knot, intense soreness, and tight muscle. These feel like obvious hard lumps upon palpation.
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Treatment Suggestion: Apply ice pads to reduce inflammation in the acute phase, followed by low-intensity massage products like the Deep Tissue Massage Gun to help increase blood circulation.
Chronic Muscle Knots
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Cause: Chronic poor posture, repetitive actions, or prolonged pressure on local muscles lead to adhesions between muscle fibers.
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Symptoms: Mild pain in the knot zone, prolonged discomfort, muscle fatigue, and local stiffness.
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Treatment: Medium to high-intensity vibration should be used sparingly throughout the treatment. A high-frequency vibration of 2800-3200 times/minute can relax adhesions and tight muscles, aiding in muscle recovery. According to the Japanese Physical Therapy Society, continuous use for four weeks can lead to a 30-40% reduction in the hardness of chronic knots.
Trigger Point Muscle Knots
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Effect: Abnormal contraction of local muscle fibers, impairing nerve signal transmission and causing local and/or referred pain.
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Signs and Symptoms: Typically associated with radicular symptoms, for example, shoulder knots stimulating neck and upper limb pain. Pressing on it causes severe, searing pain.
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Treatment Suggestion: Use a with bullet-shaped massage head to perform targeted kneading on the knotty point, with continuous pressure at 1800-3000 times/minute of vibration frequency. This can inhibit nerve over-excitability and relieve direct or indirect radiating pain. Radiculopathy pain decreases after three weeks of clinical use，according to the American Pain Management Association 2020 statistics.
How to Use Massage Tools?
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Design a Realistic Usage Frequency: Total massage time should not exceed 10 minutes each time, and massage time for a single area should be less than two minutes. Massage acute knots once a day and massage chronic knots twice a day.
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Adjust Vibration Intensity: Start with low intensity and gradually increase to medium and high settings. Avoid using high-intensity massage when the knot is painful.
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Combine with Cold Compress and Static Stretching: Apply a cold compress (10-15 minutes) after massage to reduce local inflammation, followed by static stretching to relax muscle fibers.
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Customize the Treatment Plan: Adjust vibration frequency and the usage range of the massage head according to different types of muscle knots. For chronic lumbar muscle knots, use a U-shaped massage head for long-term, low-frequency vibration to cover large and small muscle knots.
If a is used, closely observe the condition of your muscles to prevent overstimulation which could cause reflex pain or muscle spasms.
