Knots or Trigger points are areas of hypersensitivity in the fascia and muscle bellies, sometimes caused by bundles of muscle fibres.
They feel like tiny knots when you touch them, even though they are not officially referred to as such. They are small, hypersensitive areas that bombard the Central Nervous System with stimulation, giving rise to referred pain.
Decreased circulation, increased contraction and spasms can cause low aches or sharp pains. As therapists or even you, when we palpate them, they feel like hard, tender lumps in the muscle belly. And part of the benefits of soft tissue treatments is that we work into these areas to reduce the negative CNS signals, thus allowing the body to increase blood flow and recover the area.
