Yes, massage therapists can really feel knots in the body. Through their training and experience, they have developed a keen sense of touch that allows them to detect areas of tension and tightness in the muscles.
A “knot” is referred to as a “trigger point” among bodyworkers and is known to cause chronic pain, restriction of movement, and distortion of posture. A few characteristics of a trigger point include: Various muscle fibers sticking to each other to become adhered shortened tissue.
Applying sustained pressure to muscle knots leads to an increase in blood flow, which in turn causes the release of muscle fiber tension. This is called myofascial release.
Ever felt a crunch when massaging a knot? That crunchy feeling can be scar tissue, metabolic waste buildup, or fascial adhesions in your muscle. Muscle knots can be present in both superficial muscles, like the trapezius, and deeper ones like the rhomboids, which reside under the trapezius.
Understanding Anxiety
Over time, anxiety can cause physical symptoms that include fatigue, increased muscle tension, irritability, and respiratory issues. These can be easily spotted by a massage therapist and can be used to determine the best treatment methods for your needs.
The massage therapist should not touch your breasts or groin area without you giving them explicit permission to do so. Most forms of massage therapy do not include these areas. The massage therapist should not touch areas that you have explicitly requested that they avoid.
You're injured. If you have an acute injury, therapists can feel heat and inflammation.
“Just put pressure on the trigger point or knot for 5 to 10 seconds, and then release it. When a muscle is tight like that, it can limit blood flow in that area. The theory is when you put pressure on it you're limiting blood flow to the knot, and when you release the pressure, more blood flows in,” he explains.
Can A Massage Therapists Feel Your Energy? The answer to this question is a resounding “yes”. This is because massage therapists can sense your energy field through their hands. They can pick up on subtle changes in your body such as tension, pain, and emotions.
Massage therapy helps treat knots by increasing circulation and improving blood flow, which loosens stiff muscles and relieves tension.
Working the knots out through deep pressure is usually painful. Most people that love deep tissue massages love that “hurts so good” feeling but that pain is the body telling you that it doesn't like what it is feeling, aka trauma.
You should go at least once per month, but as often as twice per week in severe pain situations. The longer you wait though, and the more often you'll start the process over of loosening up your muscles because they tense up if you don't go often enough.
Many clients find it comforting to talk for the first few minutes of a massage, especially their first few sessions as we're getting to know each other and build the trust that is really important to a great therapeutic relationship.
Although there haven't been any formal surveys done on sleeping during massages, ask any massage therapist, and they'll tell you that it's a compliment to have a customer fall asleep. It means that you trust your massage therapist and feel comfortable.
During a massage, the muscles and tissues experience an emotional release just as they experience a release of physical tension. This emotional release can manifest in several ways: a sigh, laughter, muscle twitching, or even tears. These emotional responses are common during massage therapy.
Following Myofascial release, you may experience some of the following symptoms: Sore Muscles: Aches and pains are common for around 24 hours after your treatment as the body flushes out the toxins that release. Some people feel a similar sensation in their muscles as the one felt after a heavy workout at the gym.
A 'knot' is a simply point within a muscle where some muscle fibres have contracted but are not able to 'release' – like a miniature and highly localised cramp.
Knots are comprised of tense muscle fibers. "Muscle knots are actually hyperirritable spots in muscle or fascial tissue [bands or sheets of connective tissue] known as myofascial trigger points," says Charleston.
Statements like “you're really tight” are a bit of a verbal tic, something automatic — even expected — that massage therapists say to pass the time and make conversation with clients. In this context, it is trivial and harmless. But the words “you're really tight” also serve the same purpose as a sales pitch.
Too little pressure can inhibit the rate of healing, while too much pressure is unnecessary and may even damage soft tissues. Every person has a different pain threshold, which makes it difficult to set a hard limit for how much pressure is too much. However, massage therapy should never feel acutely painful.
A therapist can tell whether you stretch or exercise and what type of activities you participate in based on the length of your muscles or tensions you may have in certain areas. Whether you drink enough water. Dry skin and underlying tissue are indicators of lack of hydration.
"Always keep the lines of communication open during session, as work on your shoulders will feel significantly different than work on your glutes or feet," Travlos says. "Also one therapist's deep pressure may be another's medium or light, so always take the time to say what you need. Your body, your rules."