Barbara working her magic.
What Are "Knots"?
Has your neck been stiff and sore? Getting a massage can be helpful to alleviate that pain in your neck. In skilled hands stiffness can be decreased by gentle manipulation of the muscles attached to the base of the skull and to the scapula (shoulder blade) area. Many times stiff muscles can constrict blood flow and contribute to headaches, so by releasing tension around the neck, head and shoulder area, relief can be found. Often clients ask about that "crunchy" sensation they feel as their therapist is working on adhesions (often referred to as knots). The area around the neck and shoulders often develop adhesions due to the high level of mobility in this area, but anywhere there is muscle, there can be knots. Adhesions are basically sticky scar tissue that has developed in and around muscles that have been experiencing stress from possibly poor posture, new or difficult exercises, emotional tension or even sleeping positions. These knots that develop impede the circulation and flexibility of muscle and sometimes can crowd out nerves, which leads to pain and discomfort. Massage can break down some of the build up of adhesions and allow the muscle to be released, blood to circulate more freely and the healing process to happen. All of this leads to less pain and more range of motion. A massage technique called "trigger point therapy" works wonders on releasing knots.
For some people having their adhesions worked on can be anywhere from uncomfortable to painful. Often it is a combination of a little discomfort and a lot of relief. Communicating with your therapist is crucial to make your experience both beneficial and pleasant. More pain is not more gain! If you have had adhesions for a long time and have not been receiving massages, you most likely will need to have multiple sessions to gradually break down the build up. Each session the therapist will be able to do deeper work without it becoming too painful. If a therapist is too aggressive, the body will immediately develop adhesions in the area worked on, undoing any progress made. So be patient! Don't expect to fix the situation in one session and don't ask your therapist to use as much pressure as possible. The trick is to use as much pressure as needed, not as possible. An experienced therapist, like the ones that you will find at Massage Extraordinaire, have just the right touch to patiently untie the knots. All of our therapists have years of experience and in experienced hands, your muscles can be set free!
Roisin working out the "knots"
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