Many people experience what we call ‘knots’ in our back, shoulder or neck muscles. These aren’t really knots but are stiff bands of muscle that have a hard knob in the centre. This knob is known as a trigger point. These knots, knobs, or trigger points, are quite painful to the touch and cause pain in the surrounding muscles and sometimes will twitch or move when pressed.

The trapezius muscle is the most common source of muscle knots. These are commonly caused from overuse, repetitive activities, poor posture and stress. It’s important to address the root of the problem with exercise and good posture. Massage is a wonderful way to loosen and relax muscles and can usually help alleviate the pain and work out knots. Massage is also great to reduce stress and improve sleep.