Muscle knots are bands of skeletal muscle that are unable to relax. As a result, they are kept in shortened positions. These can either be locally tender points, or radiating trigger points causing pain to occur elsewhere.

Physical muscle treatment can resolve muscle knots. One such technique is deep ischemic compression, where sustained pressure is applied over a knot, deliberately blocking blood, and then releasing the pressure causing an influx of local blood. This is usually uncomfortable, often reproducing the patient’s symptoms, but done repeatedly over time, this can help cure the muscle pain.

This can be accomplished with different tools e.g. Shepherd’s hook, foam roller (smooth or spiky), tennis ball to golf ball.

Another technique is done through your Doctor.

Trigger point injections done with a needle, mechanically disrupts the abnormal muscle fibres, allows a path for increased blood flow, and when combined with local anesthetic, reduces muscle soreness afterwards.