Muscle knots are small, bump-like areas of muscle that can be painful to the touch. The medical term for muscle knots is myofascial trigger points. These knots occur when muscle fibers or the bands of tissue called fascia underneath them tense and tighten.

Doctors classify trigger points as either active or latent. With active trigger points, a person does not have to touch the trigger point itself for it to be painful. Latent trigger points are only painful if someone presses them.

Myofascial trigger points can cause pain and affect range of motion, so the individual should always aim to treat them early. Learn more about treatment and prevention in this article.

Symptoms

Muscle knots can develop almost anywhere on the body where muscle or fascia is present.

The knots feel as if they are small, hard lumps or nodules. A person may have to press deep into their connective tissue to feel the knots or trigger points.

Trigger points often cause what doctors call referred pain. When a person presses on the trigger point, the pain spreads from the trigger point to nearby muscles.

Sometimes, the muscle may twitch or move when the knot is pressed. This symptom helps differentiate a trigger point from a tender point. A tender point is an area that hurts only in the pressed location, and the pain does not radiate to other muscles.

Places where muscle knots commonly occur include:

• calf muscles
• lower back
• neck
• shins
• shoulders

The most common source of muscle knots is the trapezius muscle. This muscle makes a triangle-like shape from the neck to the middle of the back and the shoulder.

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