Muscles contract and release to make body parts move. Muscle knots are small areas of muscle that are tight and tender to touch even when at rest. These muscle knots could cause pain in the other parts of the body when pressure is applied . They are also called trigger points. 

What are muscle knots? 

A sedentary lifestyle - most of the time sitting at work, lack of sufficient amount of exercise and activities - is a major cause of muscle knots. Poor body posture is also a contributing factor; Muscle knots in the back below shoulders are often caused by improper posture when working at a computer. Also, muscle overuse and injuries cause muscle knots, this is the most common reason athletes develop muscle knots. 

There are indirect conditions that aggravate muscle knots such as anxiety and stress, dehydration, and unhealthy eating habits. 

What causes muscle knots in calves?

Any activity that requires a lot of leg movement such as walking, running, dancing, and exercising exert pressure on the calf muscles. A healthy amount of activity with periods in between to rest and repair muscle fibers is essential to maintain proper muscle tone and health. But overusing is injurious; for example, while on a long walk or run, calf muscles could get cramps and over time knots could develop in the fibers. 

It’s always advised to warm up before demanding physical activity and once done, let the body be back to the resting state gradually. 

How to treat muscle knots? 

There are simple and effective muscle knots treatments. Understanding the possible causes and fixing them is the first step. Initially identifying poor posture while sitting, working at a table, or walking would be hard to recognize and fix, without professional help. With the help of an expert, you’ll be able to correct your posture faster. Stretching exercises, Yoga, Pilates, and the posture correction techniques like Alexander Technique will help. If you are overusing muscles, it’s time to add enough recovery time to your routine and learn how to warm up and stretch.  

Recovery from muscle knots takes time. Calf knot release treatments are focused on breaking up tensed and contracted muscle knots and reducing inflammation around the area.  

Rest 

Take a break from the activities that caused the knots in the first place and try to avoid postures and movements that induce discomfort or pain in the area to let the inflammation subside. Sleep and Rest longer than usual with pillows supporting the joints to minimize strain on the muscles.  

Stretch 

Stretching exercises will improve blood circulation and speed up the recovery process. Be gentle with yourself, stop immediately if the inflamed muscles begin to hurt. Follow the below steps to perform a simple stretching exercise for calves. 

1. Stand facing a wall one foot in front of the other, front knee slightly bent. 
2. Keep the back leg straight and heel flat on the floor and lean towards the wall.  
3. Now you’ll feel the stretch along the calf of the back leg. 
4. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds. 
5. Switch legs and repeat the routine 3 times. 

How to get rid of a calf knot with hot or Cold therapy  

Applying heat or cold on the affected area helps with the pain and controls the inflammation.  

Blood vessels constrict in low temperatures and reduce swelling. Apply a cold compress for 10 minutes, remove it for 15 minutes, and repeat the procedure until the discomfort subsides. 

Heat loosens up stiff fibers in muscles and increases blood circulation. Use a heating pad or warm bath to promote healing the muscle knots. 

Use a muscle rub 

A rub with Menthol, Capsisin, or Camphor will soften and relax the muscles. People with sensitive skin could show reactions to certain formulas. So do a reaction test first; apply a small amount on the skin and see if there are any reactions such as irritability, rashes on the skin.  

Once applied gently massage the area until the pain is relieved.  

Trigger point pressure release 

A practitioner will apply pressure on the trigger points of the knots and massage to break up the stiffness and to release the tension in the area. 

Calf Knot Massage therapy 

Massage therapy improves blood flow and relaxes the muscles. You can either do a simple self-massage or get help from a massage therapist. If the condition of the knots is severe it’s always best to consult an experienced practitioner. 

Use muscle recovery tools 

If you are prone to frequent sore muscles due to vigorous activities like sports or if your muscles are weakened due to inactivity, it’s better to keep a muscle recovery tool with you.  

Do you know that 90% of the returning blood flow to the heart comes from the veins of your calves? Overusing of muscles and a sedentary lifestyle both alike decrease the strength of calf muscles and reduce the effectiveness of moving blood. This could lead to swelling of legs, sore muscles, muscle knots, and pain. An active compressor tool is best to support the calf muscles to recover and improve blood flow. 

There are many active compressors in the market, like our muscle recovery tool called SPRYNG is recommended for its efficiency and effectiveness. 

Why is SPRYNG the most beneficial? 

This active compressor tool is an innovative introduction to muscle recovery tools and stands out for its unique technology. 

SPRYNG is untethered; you can avoid the hassle of spending time at a big cumbersome machine with this wireless, portable and compact design. The price of this device is a fraction of the other devices in the market, and extremely efficient in that it requires only 15 minutes to get results.