A “knot” is a contraction (shortening) or spasm in a muscle. It is a place where a muscle has become ‘tight’ for one reason or another. Overwork is the most common cause.
That doesn’t mean that YOU are working too much–it means that some of your muscles are.
When you were a child you used all of your muscles all of the time. You have over 600 muscles! But then you grew up. Most of us adults use fewer than 100 muscles on a daily basis.
That’s how we get into pain. We get out of balance.
Some of your muscles are being stretched and are unhappy so they get knots. That’s how they complain.
They cannot hold their own against the shorter, tighter muscles in the front of your body so they try to protect themselves by developing a contraction or knot.
This pain tends to happen in the back near the spine or shoulder blades or on the outer side of the back under the arms. It also happens on the tops of the shoulders.
One of the most common causes for muscle knots is a forward-head posture. That posture puts a lot of strain on your upper back muscles.
A knot is a clue for you to fix something.
Discover how you can heal the pain in your upper back naturally at http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com
Thank you! I’ve been having a muscle knot (and still am :l ) for a few days now and didn’t realize that it was probably caused as I sat down throughout the day after two days of several hours at the gym. My head posture is something I never really payed any attention to untill now. I hope it gets better 😀
again, thanks for the article!
Hi Benjamin,
Thank you for writing and you are very welcome! I hope it gets better, too. In fact, I am sure it will.
You can strengthen the muscles in the back of your neck and upper back by pressing gently against the mattress or mat on the floor. GENTLY! Press your shoulders back and press your head gently, so you can feel the neck muscles engage but no pressure.
Sometimes just that simple move makes a big difference! There is an article at http://www.simplebackpainrelief.com/upper-back-pain/testimonial-for-getting-rid-of-muscle-spasms-in-your-shoulders-naturally/ that has more information about what to do to get rid of your knot.
There are actually lots of articles there about what causes upper back muscle knots and how to get rid of them naturally.
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach
I have a question. Can muscle knots in your shoulder cause nerve issues as well to where pain radiates from your shoulder to your elbow and then down to your fingers making them tingle. I am afraid that carrying my 5 month old daughter in her car seat is hurting me
Hi Carli,
You are correct. I think you have done a good job of self-diagnosing. It’s hard to carry those bulky seats especially when they are loaded with little bodies.
What should you do? You could try switching hands but that might also aggravate the other side. But you might try that.
You could do back strengthening exercises and also exercises to strengthen your upper shoulders and arms. You could stretch your chest and arms.
Lift your shoulders and roll them back. Hire a strong man. Oh, never mind…back to reality. 🙂
I have seen car seats that snap into strollers. Maybe you could find one? It’s always easier to wheel something than to carry it.
It’s not permanent. There are self-help measures you can take both now and when you are done carrying the car seat. But the problem isn’t in your back although that’s where it hurts. But your muscles can cause pressure on your nerves and that can cause your hand symptoms.
I hope you found something helpful here.
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach