Stretch It or Roll It?
In previous posts, we covered several reasons on what can cause a muscle to get tight. Let’s focus now on the tight sensation in the muscle itself. Usually there are two types of sensations - tightness spanning the entire length versus at a specific point(s) of the muscle.
If you have a muscle that feels tight along its entire length, traditional stretching can often be effective. This type of stretching works by elongating the muscle fibers, separating the attachments of the muscle, and generally improving flexibility, and increasing the range of motion.
However, if your tightness is localized to a specific spot within the muscle, traditional stretching might not be as effective. Stretching a muscle with a localized knot can be like pulling on a rubber band with a knot in it—the knot stays put while the rest of the band stretches.
In these cases, self-care techniques like foam rolling or using a rubber ball (i.e. LaCrosse Massage Ball) or a massage gun (i.e. Theragun) might be more effective because they target the specific areas of restriction that can “hide” from typical stretching routines. Like in anything, using the right tool for the job is crucial.
An interesting correlation between Eastern and Western medicine is the identification of the same issues in the body but differ in naming convention. In acupuncture, knots are called Ashi Points, but the more well-known Western medicine reference calls them Trigger Points.
When the self-care methods do not resolve the issues permanently, look for my next post on how dry needling can often release knots within seconds.