This might sound uneducated or stupid but does anyone know what this might be when my girlfriend messages my back there are sometimes a lump of something in my back that moves and goes away after she rubs them, I would consider them knots, just curious and want to make sure it is nothing serious thanks!!
here's one for ya-I have them horribly-they are bad and we (dr and myself) think mine are from my neck arthritis and disc bulge. My husband can't rub them long enough and they NEVER go away. But, when he finds one, I make him push as hard as he can that I can handle, and the pain shoots straight through my back to my lungs then up to my temples. It hurts so but feels good too. The only time they went away was after my transforaminal injection and that helped relax those muscles. But, they are back. I don't know if poor posture (I stand awesome, but sit poorly), work related, or structural from my neck issues. I also carry all my tension in my shoulders and neck. But, we had hoped that was from my low back problems, but since my surgery-the neck stuff has just gotten progressively worse.
Massage Therapists call them "trigger points" or "pressure points" sometimes, and the way they try to loosen them is to put pressure on the knot and run their fingers or hand along the knot in a "line" (for lack of a proffessional term) until they feel it release. You can do this yourself or on someone else. Just find the knot, put some light pressure on it and then run your fingers over it in a line, kinda like "pushing" it along until you can feel the tightness disolve. It will be uncomfortable for a bit, until the knot loosens up. I used to get them on my forearms when I waited tables and I would run my fingers along the knot pushing it down the length of the muscle or tendon until it felt like it was releasing. Does this make sense?
There is also a product that is for sale on some websites called the "Back Buddy" or something to that effect. Basically it's a long S shaped thingie that has knobs on either end and different places for you to hold it so that you can place the end of the "S" with the knob on it where ever you feel the knot and then apply pressure. You've probably seen this instrument before. It looks like a giant S made out of strong plastic material. I think it's developed for those of us who can't reach the pressure points or knots by ourselves.
