What a pain! (part 3)
Welcome to part three of my five part series on pain management! If you missed the first two posts, be sure to go back and read them. The previous blog posts will go over soreness and tension. Today we will be going over pinching and stabbing pains in muscles. Please be advised, if you are feeling a pinching or stabbing pain in an area that doesn't feel muscular, such as kidneys, and lower abdomen you need to see a doctor, as these can be signs of very serious conditions.
In reference to muscles, pinching and stabbing pains are fairly common, and very annoying. The feeling of stabbing or pinching comes from a quick muscle contraction. The difference between these two is not subtle, as you can always tell if it is one or the other. A stabbing pain is a quick burst of muscle contractions. In contrast, a pinching feeling is a lingering muscle contraction. When you feel both of these consecutively, it is usually a stabbing pain followed by a pinch. This is the muscle getting "stuck".
In the field of massage therapy, we refer to this "stuck" muscle as a trigger point. Call them what you will, there is a fix for these nuisances! If you experience stabbing feelings this is an early sign that your muscles need some help. Some actions that will help get rid of this is proper daily stretching, drinking plenty of water, and keeping your muscles active. Daily stretching will help stop muscles from tightening up and turning into a "stuck" muscle. Sometimes, our muscles will contract because they are dehydrated. Muscles bring blood to an area by contractions, which is why big body builders get a "pump" or get vascular when they workout. When a muscle is running low on water, it will contract to try to get more blood flow to it so it can hydrate. Therefore, if you drink more water, you muscle won't have to struggle to get blood flow. The same concept goes with staying active. If your muscles are stagnant, it is hard to get blood flow to certain areas of the body. It's very important to keep moving so your body can get nutrients from your blood.
If you are experiencing a pinching feeling, it is not too late! There is still hope! A sharp or dull pinch is a sign of a stuck muscle. What this means is your muscle contracted, and then never let go. This results in trigger points or "knots". They can range in size, depending on where they are located in the body and how long they have been contracted. Imagine lifting weights and then suddenly halfway through, you just stop and hold it. Soon your muscle will start to hurt from holding that same position. That is, on a larger scale, how these muscle act. They function perfectly, and then they just stop, and freeze in a contracted state. To get these to let go, you must get it back to it's original position and hold it there. Much like a kindergartner on their first day of school, these muscles just don't want to let go.
To get muscle to release you can stretch them, apply pressure, and apply heat to the area. By stretching them, it is like pulling a child of their dads legs. But you can't let go right away, or they will just run straight back and grab on again. You have to get them away, and hold them away until they are done with their tantrum. On a muscular level, you stretch the muscle back to it's original position and then hold it there. It takes about one full minute for a muscle to stretch back into it's original position. By applying pressure and heat, you are maintaining a blood flow to the area, and loosening it enough for it to return to the correct position itself. All these options are good ways to take out your own knots, however depending on their severity, you may have to talk to your massage therapist about helping release some of the muscles.
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