How To Get Rid Of Muscle Knots The Definitive Guide

  references
  
      Tri-City Medical Center: "Foam Rolling – Getting out the Knots"
    
      Mayo Clinic: "Overuse Injury: How to Prevent Training Injuries"
    
      ACE: "6 Benefits of Using Foam Rollers"
    
      Marshfield Clinic Health System: "Treating Injury"
    
      American Academy of Pediatrics: "Treating Sports Injuries with Ice and Heat"
    
      National Academy of Sports Medicine: "Foam Rolling: Applying the Technique of Self-Myofascial Release"
    
      National Academy of Sports Medicine: "Should You Foam Roll the Low Back?"
    
      International Sports Science Association: "How to Identify and Correct Tight Hip Flexors"
    
      Piedmont Healthcare: "What Causes Muscle Knots?"
    
      Mount Sinai: "Can I Get a Blood Clot From Sitting at My Computer?"
    




Foam rolling is one great strategy for relieving muscle knots.

Image Credit: miljko/E+/GettyImages

How Bad Is It Really to Work Out With Sore Muscles?

“Muscles generally feel best when they are able to move and contract in different positions, so if you are in the same position all day, you might develop some trigger points,” Yuen says. “These can happen throughout the body, but they tend to occur more often in the postural muscles of the feet, calves, back and neck.”

Muscle spindles can also promote relief through a type of stretching called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, according to the ACE. This stretch allows one muscle group to contract while its opposing muscle group relaxes and lengthens.

You should never foam roll your lower back, according to the NASM. Doing so can cause you to hyperextend it and place added pressure, which can make your issues worse. Instead, try these pain-relieving exercises.

Why You Should Be Rolling Out Your Feet — and How to Do It

      Tri-City Medical Center: "Foam Rolling – Getting out the Knots"
    
      Mayo Clinic: "Overuse Injury: How to Prevent Training Injuries"
    
      ACE: "6 Benefits of Using Foam Rollers"
    
      Marshfield Clinic Health System: "Treating Injury"
    
      American Academy of Pediatrics: "Treating Sports Injuries with Ice and Heat"
    
      National Academy of Sports Medicine: "Foam Rolling: Applying the Technique of Self-Myofascial Release"
    
      National Academy of Sports Medicine: "Should You Foam Roll the Low Back?"
    
      International Sports Science Association: "How to Identify and Correct Tight Hip Flexors"
    
      Piedmont Healthcare: "What Causes Muscle Knots?"
    
      Mount Sinai: "Can I Get a Blood Clot From Sitting at My Computer?"