Does A Massage Gun Help With Knots?(In Back, Neck & Shoulders)

If you are dealing with knots in your muscles, getting rid of them quickly and easily is probably your top concern.

Massage guns work to increase blood flow to decrease tension and inflammation. This includes working through and breaking up knots. Using a massage gun to ease the pain you feel from muscles knots is extremely beneficial and effective with the use of vibration therapy.

When you apply pressure to the area where you feel knots in your muscles, it repeatedly impacts the area and wakes up the muscle. This causes better blood flow and releases the pain from the knots.

Do Massage Guns Work for Knots?

Massage guns can work for relieving knot pain if you use them properly. They will not get rid of the knot completely, but it will help the area for better for a while.

With the consistent massaging impact from a massage gun, your muscle knot will experience an increase of blood flow, allowing it to loosen up.

Mechanical vibration, such as the vibration that comes from a massage gun, is recognized as a way to relieve the pain from muscle knots.

This is because the tool is more efficient than trying to massage the area with your hand. They have the ability to massage harder to reach areas.

Can a Massage Get Rid of Knots?

Massage guns can’t technically get rid of muscle knots, but it can make them feel better. The only thing you can really do to get rid of muscle knots is figure out what makes them happen in the first place so you can prevent them from occurring. 

How to Use a Massage Gun for Knots

You need to be careful when you use a massage gun. They are only meant to be used on muscles and joints, not bone. If you use the massage gun on a bony area, you are at risk of an injury to that bone.

Be sure to focus just on the muscle knot and stay away from your spine or other bones.

Turn the massage gun on before you put it on the muscle. This is important to maintain control over the massager.

If you turn the massage gun on while already touching your muscle, it can result in jarring.

With the massage gun on, gently put it on your skin where the muscle knot is. It is not necessary to put any pressure on the area, just let the device rest on your skin.

Allow the massage gun to lightly rest on the knot for a moment or two. Slowly move the massage gun over the area that is sore you should move no faster than one inch per second. 

You need to remember to breathe evenly and calmly while the massager is working.

This will help keep you relaxed, and you will have an easier time with increasing the blood flow and tension relief. 

Which Massage Gun Head is Best for Muscle Knots?

There are multiple different heads that usually come with a massage gun, and it can be hard to figure out which one is best for your situation. The first head is the fork attachment, which is best for large areas of muscle that are tight.

This is a great option if you have a muscle knot on a leg muscle.

Next, there is the bullet attachment. It is best for targeting specific areas that are tough to reach. It is not recommended to use this attachment on a muscle knot on your arms or shoulders.

It will be most beneficial to use this attachment on muscle knots that are in your back or legs.

For muscle knots on your shoulders or arms, you will want to use the ball attachment or the padded round attachment.

These heads are more geared towards sensitive muscle areas, such as the ones in your shoulders and arms. You can easily use these attachments to evenly work through your muscle knot.

What are Muscle Knots?

Muscle knots can leave you in an unbearable amount of pain and there isn’t really an easy fix. The name makes it seem like your muscle is literally in a knot, but this isn’t true. Muscle knots are basically just a sore or tender spot on your muscle.

They feel sore and tight, most commonly occurring in your legs or upper back.

You will usually get a muscle knot in a spot where the muscle has been agitated by repetitive motions. For example, athletes will usually notice them after training a certain muscle group repetitively for a long period of time.

Muscle knots are not typically harmful, but that doesn’t make them any less uncomfortable. 

Muscle knots are tricky because they don’t show up on scans, meaning doctors aren’t really sure what is causing the pain. It is believed that muscle spasms occur and impact the blood flow to the area, while others say the nerves are impacted by spasms. 

What is a Massage Gun?

A massage gun is a quick and easy way to increase blood flow and relieve tension in your muscles. It is a handheld device that looks a lot like a drill. They usually come with multiple different head attachments and speed options to target specific muscles.

They use vibration therapy and repetitively impact the area to increase circulation and bring more blood to the surface. This helps your muscles warm up and relax, relieving some of the pain that you feel from knots.

Best Massage Gun for Muscle Knots

If you are needing a high quality massage gun to treat muscle knots check out the Percussion Massager from iReliev. This lightweight wireless device packs a punch and is perfect for delivering quick relief . Get rid of muscle knots once and for all with this device. Click here to buy today.

Benefits of Massage Guns on Muscle Knots

In addition to feeling relief of pain from your muscle knots, there are other benefits that you will experience from the use. 

Increased Blood Flow and Circulation

Of course, the repetitive vibration will bring more blood to the surface and increase circulation to the area. This will also bring more oxygen and nutrients that your muscles need to heal at a faster rate.

Relaxation

Using a massage gun to relieve pain from muscle knots will also help you relax in other ways. You will notice you feel less stressed after using a massage gun. This is due to the tension relief, but also because it brings more fluid to your muscles. When you feel less pain, you will feel more relaxed.

Enhances Range of Motion

When you work to relieve the tension of a muscle knot, you will be able to move easier. As you feel less tension, you will have an easier time moving because you won’t feel pain every time you try to move.

For more information check out the pros and cons of a massage gun here

Can Massage Guns Make Muscle Knots Worse?

You are likely to experience more benefits than side effects when using a massage gun, but since each person is different, there is not a one-size-fits-all option. You might have amazing luck with relieving the pain from your muscle knot, but your friend might experience more pain after use.

If a muscle knot feels worse after using a massage gun, it could be the result of improper use. While muscle cells are usually pretty durable, they still have the ability to be damaged when they experience repetitive impact.

If too much pressure is applied, it can damage the muscle fibers and leave the muscle knot feeling even worse.

There is also the chance of damaging a different part of your muscle and it just feels like the muscle knot is getting worse. This might be because a blood vessel ruptured, or sensitive nerves were agitated.

Always use a massage gun with caution to prevent any more damage to your muscle.

You might also experience muscle contractions while you use a massage gun. This is because your nerves are sending signals to your brain to tense your muscles up due to the pain you feel during the massage.

This is the opposite of what you want to happen, and it can make the treatment ineffective.

Muscle Knot Prevention

Treating muscle knots isn’t a quick fix, but luckily there are some things you can do to help prevent the knots from forming. First, make sure you stretch. This warms your muscles up before physical activity to reduce the risk of knots forming.

Movement and exercise are also another way to prevent muscle knots. This is because it increases blood flow to the area to keep your muscles loose and relaxed. It is best to avoid becoming tense during work outs, as this will increase the risk of muscle knots.

Heat and ice can help prevent muscle knots. Ice helps reduce swelling and heat relaxes your muscles and reduces stiffness.

Using the two alternately will be even more beneficial when reducing the risk of muscle knots. 

Bottom Line

Finally, the use of muscle recovery tools is extremely beneficial. This includes a massage gun and a foam roller. They will both promote circulation to the area and prevent the muscle from becoming too tense and forming a knot.

The faster you loosen your muscles up after you exercise or feel a tense muscle, the better chance you have of experiencing a muscle knot. Your muscles will recover at a faster rate and you will feel better sooner. 

References

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/fitness/gallery/best-massage-guns
https://www.zarifausa.com/blogs/pain-management/how-to-use-a-muscle-gun-for-knots
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/what-to-know-muscle-knots#1
https://www.totalfitnessfocus.com/how-to-use-a-massage-gun/
https://www.ptprogress.com/massage-gun-heads-how-to-choose-the-right-one/
https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/what-causes-muscle-knots
https://www.uwhealth.org/news/bringing-release-to-knotty-muscles