When Knots Don't Release

[Emily]

I'm a relatively new MT.

Sometimes when I'm on knots they release when I'm not working directly
on them. Other times I can spend 15 minutes doing trigger point and
myofasial work and they get softer and smaller but don't completely let go.

I'm wondering what's going on, which techniques are best, how long it
takes to expect results, and dealing with clients who want immediate
results.

Thanks to the more experienced MTs for any info and advice.

Emily

[jun]

Post by Emily
I'm a relatively new MT.
Sometimes when I'm on knots they release when I'm not working directly
on them. Other times I can spend 15 minutes doing trigger point and
myofasial work and they get softer and smaller but don't completely let go.
I'm wondering what's going on, which techniques are best, how long it
takes to expect results, and dealing with clients who want immediate
results.
Thanks to the more experienced MTs for any info and advice.
Emily

there are a key points in knots, knots within knots, surrounding the
real knots i suspect there are swelliings, and other wast products, if
you can get in the knot within, and release it. all the surrounding
will be gone with it. but before geting into the key point, you need
to relax the surrounding tissues.

jun
www.junrmt.com

[Paula]

I would also like to comment that as a Massage Therapist, you are merely
trying to get the circulation flowing so that the body itself can help
release these knots. When you get them to soften, some risidual tightening
can be left but will more than likely disipate by themselves.

For a client that thinks it should all be fixed right then, explain this to
them. Make sure they drink a good bit of water because that really does
help.

Hope that helped, at least a little

Pita

Post by Emily
I'm a relatively new MT.
Sometimes when I'm on knots they release when I'm not working directly on
them. Other times I can spend 15 minutes doing trigger point and
myofasial work and they get softer and smaller but don't completely let go.
I'm wondering what's going on, which techniques are best, how long it
takes to expect results, and dealing with clients who want immediate
results.
Thanks to the more experienced MTs for any info and advice.
Emily

[suzee]

Post by Paula
I would also like to comment that as a Massage Therapist, you are merely
trying to get the circulation flowing so that the body itself can help
release these knots. When you get them to soften, some risidual tightening
can be left but will more than likely disipate by themselves.
For a client that thinks it should all be fixed right then, explain this to
them. Make sure they drink a good bit of water because that really does
help.
Hope that helped, at least a little

I think it's probably not realistic to get them all released while on
the table. I find that when I work an area, then move on to the rest of
the body, it may take about 15-30 minutes for some of them to release.
Sometimes it may take several days for them to release. I know that's
how it can be in my body when I have a massage.

sue

[R Jones]

what about the sexual release,, that always works,, Rosie

[s***@gmail.com]

With trigger point therapy the reason why some "knots" release without
directly working on them is because you are most likely working on a
key trigger point. Key trigger points typically create referred knots
called satellite trigger points. These are usually found in the
referred pain region. Because these satellite trigger points are
created by key trigger points, when the key trigger points are
released you'll find the satellite trigger points released as well.

Sometimes trigger points take more than one session to release - you
need to address this to your patient, it does depend on the patient -
how long they have had the trigger point, are they allowing their body
to relax, their body posture, etc. You may want to find out more
history on what they are typically doing a day to day basis that makes
this trigger point worse and recommend that they do not perform the
action or give them another way of performing it.

In addition, try applying heat before and after you work on the area.

Good luck!

[Michael B]

One area gets tight for whatever reason. Other muscles that
are not really designed to assist do what they need to do, often
ineffectively. And it sets up a cascade of mistreated musculature.
So you start out with the ones that are the secondaries. Get the
circulation improved, start removing the armor.
Often there will be some spots that are just damned difficult. There
will be a reason, it's up to you to deal with it, often in a
roundabout
fashion.
But certainly important that the client knows that everything is not
going to suddenly be fixed.

Shucks, I do massage training for couples with fibromyalgia. Far
better
for them to learn the important stretch techniques than to fix the
trigger
points and discover them coming back within 10 minutes. Because
with the stretch, the muscle gets elongated, gets better circulation,
and
the trigger point is more likely to ease up, and take longer to come
back.

But that's just my opinion.

Post by Emily
I'm a relatively new MT.
Sometimes when I'm on knots they release when I'm not working directly
on them. Other times I can spend 15 minutes doing trigger point and
myofasial work and they get softer and smaller but don't completely let go.
I'm wondering what's going on, which techniques are best, how long it
takes to expect results, and dealing with clients who want immediate
results.
Thanks to the more experienced MTs for any info and advice.
Emily

[*MYSTIC*]

Post by Michael B
One area gets tight for whatever reason. Other muscles that
are not really designed to assist do what they need to do, often
ineffectively. And it sets up a cascade of mistreated musculature.
So you start out with the ones that are the secondaries. Get the
circulation improved, start removing the armor.
Often there will be some spots that are just damned difficult. There
will be a reason, it's up to you to deal with it, often in a
roundabout
fashion.
But certainly important that the client knows that everything is not
going to suddenly be fixed.
Shucks, I do massage training for couples with fibromyalgia. Far
better
for them to learn the important stretch techniques than to fix the
trigger
points and discover them coming back within 10 minutes. Because
with the stretch, the muscle gets elongated, gets better circulation,
and
the trigger point is more likely to ease up, and take longer to come
back.
But that's just my opinion.

Post by Emily
I'm a relatively new MT.
Sometimes when I'm on knots they release when I'm not working directly
on them. Other times I can spend 15 minutes doing trigger point and
myofasial work and they get softer and smaller but don't completely let go.
I'm wondering what's going on, which techniques are best, how long it
takes to expect results, and dealing with clients who want immediate
results.
Thanks to the more experienced MTs for any info and advice.
Emily

I'm curious what 'stretch technique' you are refering to?

[Michael B]

*MYSTIC* asks
"I'm curious what 'stretch technique' you are refering to?"

Let's start with what we know. Without using any technical terms.
Suppose you wake up in the middle of the night with a "Charlie Horse".
It's actually a spasm of muscle(s) at the back of the lower leg.
How to get it resolved? Stretch it. Take it from a contracted
condition
to being stretched, because a muscle in spasm can seriously restrict
its own blood supply, and you're feeling the effect of that. So you
get
out of bed and very carefully "walk it out". The walking stretches the
muscle, and the walking causes alternate flexion and extension which
helps 'milk' the waste products out, and enable fresh blood to be
delivered. But that's just one muscle group.
Well, after that crisis of waking up in the middle of the night, how
to
keep from doing it on a nightly basis? Stretch those muscles. Make
a wedge to stand on that will bring your foot up, stretch them. Or
stretch those legs out in bed, and bring 'toes to nose' as much as
you can.
Suppose the problems are in the forearms. Plenty of finger and hand
flexors and extensors, awfully handy to know how to stretch them.
Especially when pain in the outer elbow area diagnosed as tennis
elbow can actually be from something like the hand extensors, and
then when the person develops a weak and unreliable grip, plenty of
pain, they go to all kinds of meds, quite ineffective, wrist and arm
still
hurting, etc. Because the muscles that need the circulation
improvement still aren't getting what they need.

If I could only count the number of times people have complained that
it's not fair for me to know where they're going to hurt before I
touch
them.
But you'll likely hear the same thing from most of the people here
that
do much trigger point work.

There are plenty of other things, electrolytes, hydration, etc.

But, you see, there is no "stretch technique", as a single item,
but rather a matter of knowing where the trigger points are likely to
be,
and stretching the muscles involved. To deal with some of the reasons
for the trigger points to be there. Notice I said "some" of the
reasons.

Post by *MYSTIC*

Post by Michael B
Shucks, I do massage training for couples with fibromyalgia. Far
better
for them to learn the important stretch techniques than to fix the
trigger
points and discover them coming back within 10 minutes. Because
with the stretch, the muscle gets elongated, gets better circulation,
and
the trigger point is more likely to ease up, and take longer to come
back.

I'm curious what 'stretch technique' you are refering to?