They are made up of stretchy fibers that combine to form a larger, springy structure. No, we’re not talking about bungee cords or rubber bands. We’re talking about your muscles. 

Unfortunately, it’s possible for muscle fibers to become tense and misaligned, which is what you feel when your muscle knots in your arms. These knots are also known as myofascial trigger points — they’re a key indicator of a condition called myofascial pain syndrome, and it’s estimated that this issue affects up to 85% of patients who develop musculoskeletal pain. 

Physical therapists can take steps to determine why you have knots in the muscles of your arm or arms. Also, these medical specialists can help you find effective treatment options for these painful knots. 

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These are three techniques that can help address the muscle knots in your arms: 

1. Therapeutic exercises — One of the techniques physical therapists use most often to address myofascial trigger points is therapeutic exercises. Such exercises can be used to improve strength and range of motion, but in this case, they’re used to stretch out the tense, misaligned muscle fibers. The exercises your therapist shows you may also help reduce the pain caused by your muscle knots. 

2. Trigger point release — For slightly more stubborn knots, your physical therapist may bring their hands to bear on the problem. They’ll do this by applying a manual therapy method called trigger point release or myofascial release. 

This technique involves your physical therapist applying friction and pressure to the affected area of your arm with their hands. The goal is to realign the muscle fibers, release built-up tension and decrease your pain. 

3. Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) — Some knots are deeper in your muscle tissue, or they may be particularly stubborn. If so, your physical therapist has yet another technique that can help you. 

This technique is called instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). It involves your physical therapist using specially designed metal tools. These tools allow them to apply more pressure and friction to the problem area than they could with their hands alone. 

Find help with the muscles knots in your arms at Franklin Rehab

Are your arm muscles riddled with knots? You can get help addressing your myofascial trigger points at Franklin Rehabilitation. Our team can do a free screening to confirm that the pain you’re feeling is caused by muscle knots. Then, we can create a personalized treatment plan for you, and this plan will be designed to: 

• Reduce pain.
• Improve muscle flexibility.
• Decrease the risk of future myofascial pain. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat myofascial pain or to schedule an initial appointment.

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