How To Get A Knot Out Of Your Back

Roots of Being is reader supported. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.

Muscle knots on your back can feel painful, tight, and sore. Although they may not be harmful, they can certainly be very uncomfortable. That’s why we try to find ways to get rid of them. 

In this article, I’m going to go over how to get a knot out of your back. Getting a massage is one of the popular solutions to knots in your back. Most people will go to massage therapists to help them get the knots out. 

However, this is something you can try to do at home, as well. It helps if you have a friend around, though! The location of the knot at the back may seem like it is quite hard to reach.

In this article, I’m going to go over how to get that knot out of your back!


How To Get a Knot Out of Your Back

Muscle knots, especially those at the back are very uncomfortable. They can cause pain and may make you feel that there are tight spots in your back. This can all cause a restriction in the way you move. 

Getting rid of muscle knots isn’t doesn’t happen in an instant. However, you can gradually break up the knot to get some relief out of it until the knots are completely gone. 

1. Rest

One of the best things that you can do is to give your muscles rest from the activity that’s causing you to have the knots. If the cause of your muscle knots is reduced, the knots will go away more quickly. 

If your muscle knots at the back are caused by your poor posture, consider changing your posture so that your muscles don’t get further strained and develop those knots. The posture subreddit is full of excellent posture tips.

Relieving stress over the muscles that have knots will help make sure they don’t get worse. This will help get rid of them gradually along with the other treatment procedures that you do. 

2. Stretching

Another thing that you could do help get rid of the muscle knots in your back is to stretch. Gentle stretching can help relieve some of the tension that the muscles have. 

When stretching, it is best to avoid those stretches that will cause you pain. You should stretch your muscles but not to the point where you are uncomfortable. 

Gradually increase the stretches once your body gets used to them. Don’t force your body to do strenuous stretches, particularly as you start out.

3. Exercise

Exercise is another way to help your muscles stretch.

Aerobic exercises are preferred because they help relieve the tension in those areas. This type of exercise will increase the blood flow in the area, which can help remove the knots. 

4. Cold/Heat Therapy

Combining cold and heat therapy is a great way to relieve the inflammation as well as the pain caused by the muscle knots. Applying a cold compress on the area will help reduce the inflammation so that you can feel better. 

You can try to use heat pads on the area where it feels stiff. This will help reduce the pain. Additionally, it will boost the flow of blood in the area as well.

The electronic back and shoulder massagers can work really well for this.

Sale
Snailax Shiatsu Neck and Shoulder Massager - Back Massager with Heat, Deep Kneading Electric Massage...
  • 3D DEEP SHIATSU MASSAGE-8 deep-kneading...
  • SOOTHING HEAT THERAPY-The optional heat...
  • ARMREST DESIGN Multipurose handle belt...
  • SUITABLE FOR use in Car, Home, Office,...
  • IDEAL GIFT & EASY TO USE – Simply...

Last update on 2024-03-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

5. Acupuncture

This will involve inserting tiny needles in the skin in specific areas to relieve pain and tension. Those who have muscle knots can benefit from dry needling because it helps release the tension that is caused by the muscle knots.

6. Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a known treatment for muscle knots. With massages, the circulation is boosted and the blood flow is increased in the area. This can help remove the knots as well as improve the tight muscles.

With massages, the circulation is boosted and the blood flow is increased in the area. This can help remove the knots as well as improve the tight muscles.


Benefits Of Back Massage For Knots

Due to the activities that we do each day, our backs can feel uncomfortable. There may be too much stress on the back muscles which causes them to be painful or tight. Sometimes, we might even have back knots that we are unaware of. 

Back massage does good things for your back and helps out with the pesky knots that you might have there. Whether you are having a gentle massage or an intense deep tissue massage, the action of rubbing the back can improve blood flow. 

With better blood flow to the area, the muscles will be able to receive more of the nutrients that they need to function or heal themselves. Apart from that, the toxins or the products that need to be removed will be more efficiently removed with the increase in blood flow. 

As for the knots, the increase in the blood supply will be enough to gradually get rid of them. The burst of blood flow in that area will help the muscles be able to relax even in the area where there is a knot. 

The massage can be concentrated on the area where the knot is to better improve blood circulation in that specific location. 


How To Rub Out A Knot In Your Back

One of the best ways to get rid of a knot on your back is to have a massage. However, when we say back massage, we often picture someone massaging our back. 

But what if we don’t have anyone to do that for us or if we can’t go to a massage therapist? Do we just give up on getting rid of the knot in the back through massage?

Don’t do that because you still can rub out the knot in your back on your own. Self-massage for the knots on your back is still possible. 

1. Use Your Fingers

You simply have to locate the muscle knot first. Finding it by pressing gently over the area with your fingers will help you identify the location. 

First, do a gentle massage with your fingers on the area where the knot is. Your goal here is to loosen up the tight muscle fibers so that tension is relieved and you can get rid of the knot. 

Then, you can press firmly over the knot and the surrounding area. Create small circles with your fingers while massaging the knot. 

Sometimes, you may not be able to easily reach the knot. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t rub it out. You can use various tools to help you rub out that area.

2. Use A Hard Ball

One of the most common objects people use to massage their back is a tennis ball. The hardness of this ball provides enough pressure to push and rub out the knot. 

To use a tennis ball, you can lie on your back or stand against a wall. Either way, the tennis ball is placed between your back and the flat surface. Then you have to line it up to where the knot is. 

You can adjust how much pressure you press on the tennis ball, but it is best to pin it with as much pressure as you can handle. It can feel painful at first but the pain will soon stop. Do this for a few seconds and increase the time as you continue. 

3. Use A Foam Roller

Foam Roller

A foam roller  can be a good substitute for a tennis ball. Compared to a tennis ball, the area covered will be bigger. 

To use it, lay on the floor with the massage roller on your back and position it to where the knot is. Hold it in place for about 30 seconds. Roll the roller with your back and focus on the sore spots.

A foam roller is only recommended for the upper back area. 

Sale
TRIGGERPOINT PERFORMANCE THERAPY GRID Foam Roller for Exercise, Deep Tissue Massage and Muscle...
  • Patented foam roller design offers a...
  • Constructed from quality materials that...
  • Includes access to free online...
  • Trusted foam roller of physical and...

Last update on 2024-03-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

4. Use An Umbrella Or Massage Cane

massage cane

An umbrella or a massage cane can be used to help massage the hard-to-reach trigger points or knots on your back. You can use this to put pressure on the area to help the knot dissipate. 

5. Use A Massage Gun

massage gun

A massage gun is another great tool to help you massage your back. You can use it and simply focus on the area where there is a knot or you can use it to massage your whole back. 


How Massage A Knot Out Of Someone Else’s Back

Here’s a short video showing how to massage the lower back.

If you are trying to massage a knot out of someone else’s back, you can also use the tools used above for the self-massage. However, you need to communicate with your partner to know how much pressure they could take. 

Massaging with any of the tools above and using pressure will help get rid of the knots in the back. You may use the tools to simply put pressure on it or you can rub it in a circular motion. This will help break out the muscle knot.