Muscle knots happen. They are basically places where fibers of muscle and fascia and possibly nerve tissue are bound or stuck to each other. They can happen due to overuse, disuse, and abuse. They can be due to the "straw that broke the camels back" as in when when the muscles are already tired and we ask them to do one more thing that they may be incapable of performing.
There are deeper aspects to a knot that may include dehydration, lack of certain minerals, reduced circulation (even temporary or localized), nerve entrapment, or scarring.
Massage helps to get the fluids moving- we also call these fluids "ground substance". The fluid part of the blood carries nutrients into the cells and waste products from the exertion away, to be processed by kidney and liver. Massage soon after exertion helps to heal the micro-tears that occur with work out and to get that ground substance moving again.
Often, when we do a heavy work out, the body needs more oxygen than the cells are getting... the result is that the cells switch from aerobic respiration to anaerobic, in which lactic acid is a by product. Lactic acid may cause ache and even pain enough to cause a muscle to tense up into a knot.
One thing that helps a lot of people is additional magnesium in a topical format- that would be a VERY strong Epsom salt soak, or topical magnesium gels, sprays or lotions.
I offer topical magnesium products at my office and I also offer Magnesium Massage.
Here is a sports recovery expert talking about Magnesium for sports, elderly and others.
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