What IS the most common cause of muscle knots in your upper back?
When muscles are stretched too far too often they develop “knots.” Those knots are a special type of contraction that keep the muscles from being stretched too far and injured. This is the most common cause of muscle knots.
This type of knot doesn’t relax well when someone presses on it. It cannot relax because it’s already stretched too far.
A different type of knot occurs when you are actively using a muscle. For instance, if you are carrying something that causes you to hike your shoulder and get a knot on the top of your shoulder. That knot is a ‘normal’ contraction and will respond well to pressure.
What’s inside muscle knots?
Nothing but muscle tissue is inside. There are some chemical changes in the tissues but there is nothing to squeeze or cut out.
How can you get rid of those miserable knots in your upper back?
The over-stretched type of knot needs treatment in many places to help it relax. You cannot have someone blast away on it because it can’t relax that way. Rather, you have to go on a search for tight and tender areas that surround the knot. After you relax those muscles then the knot can relax, too.
The most common places to find tight muscles that are causing your upper back knots are:
- On the front side of your ribs.
- On the side of your ribs.
- Lower on your back, below your arm pit.
- On your upper arm.
- Your upper chest where it attaches to your arm.
- Your neck muscles.
Press into those areas looking for tightness and tenderness. Press into the muscle not just the skin. Pressure is a type of massage that can help those areas relax.
If you can’t effectively massage or press into those areas a skilled massage therapist can help. But be careful: If a therapist is not very skilled he or she will blast away on the knot and it won’t help. You may have to direct the therapist where to work if that is the case or just go to someone else.
You can discover more about getting rid of those miserable knots in your upper back by going to Knots In Your Back Gone!
The hardest area for you yourself to help relax are the muscles on your neck. When you move your arms, those neck muscles tend to tighten. I cover those muscles in the Knots In Your Back program.
You can also find lots of informative articles about the muscle knots and pain in your upper back at Simple Back Pain Relief.
