Why Do I Get Muscle Knots at Work? How Can I Prevent Muscle Knots?

by Julie Zuleger, Ph.D., CSCS, RYT-500, LMT

Published on 06/12/2025

Chances are you’re feeling muscle knots or trigger points; tight bands of muscle fibers that can sabotage your mobility and flexibility.

The good news: you don’t have to live with them! Understanding what causes these annoying muscle knots and learning some cool tricks to “untangle” them can be a game-changer for your mobility and flexibility. Let’s dive in and get moving freely again!

This isn’t about simply enduring discomfort; it’s about understanding its root causes and taking actionable steps to create a healthier, pain-free work environment. Let’s dive deep into why muscle knots form in the first place, help you identify contributing behaviors in your current setup, and most importantly, equip you with specific, practical strategies to prevent them. Get ready to bid “Knot Today!” to workplace pain and reclaim your comfort and productivity.

What are muscle knots?

Before tackling muscle knots, we need to understand what they are and why they appear out of nowhere, especially after a taxing workday. Scientifically known as myofascial trigger points, a muscle knot isn’t just a general tightness; it’s a hyperirritable spot within a tight band of muscle fiber. Imagine a tiny, contracted section of your muscle that can’t relax, feeling like a hard lump or band under your skin. These knots can cause localized pain and tenderness and can even refer pain to other body areas.

Why Do I Get Muscle Knots at Work?

So, why do these unwelcome guests set up shop in our muscles, particularly in the workplace? The usual suspects often stem from everyday work habits and environmental factors:

Repetitive Strain: Tasks that involve continuous, repeated movements, such as typing, lifting, twisting, or reaching for items, can lead to muscle fatigue and micro-trauma, setting the stage for knots.
Poor Posture: Slouching over a keyboard, hunching your shoulders, craning your neck forward to view a monitor, or lifting and twisting in awkward positions puts undue stress on specific muscle groups. This sustained strain leads to muscle shortening and weakness in opposing muscles.
Prolonged Static Positions: Sitting or standing in the same position for extended periods significantly reduces muscle blood flow. When muscles don’t get adequate oxygen and nutrients, and waste products aren’t efficiently removed, they become susceptible to developing painful knots.
Stress: Mental and emotional stress often manifests physically as muscle tension. Chronic stress can cause muscles to contract, forming trigger points, especially in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.

When your muscles are overworked, underworked (due to lack of movement), or held in awkward positions for too long, they protest by forming these tight, painful bands. This leads to reduced blood flow, oxygen deprivation, and the accumulation of metabolic waste products, all contributing to the cascade of adverse health effects and the unwelcome formation of knots.

How Can I Set Up an Ergonomic Workspace?

Here’s an actionable checklist for the typical desk setup, which can be adapted to many other work environments:

Your Chair: The Foundation of Support
- Lumbar Support: Your chair should support the natural curve of your lower back. Consider adding a supportive cushion if it doesn’t have built-in lumbar support.
- Seat Height: Adjust your seat height so your feet are flat on the floor (or a footrest), with your knees at a 90-degree angle, slightly below your hips. This helps maintain good posture and circulation.
- Armrests: Adjust armrests so your shoulders are relaxed, and your elbows are at a 90-degree angle when typing. They should support your arms without making you shrug your shoulders. If they’re too high, they can contribute to shoulder tension.
- Seat Depth: To avoid restricting circulation, ensure a 2-4 finger-width gap between the edge of your seat and the back of your knees.
Your Monitor: Eye-Level with Comfort
- Height: Position your monitor so the top of the screen is at or slightly below eye level. This prevents neck strain from looking up or down excessively.
- Distance: Place the monitor about an arm’s length away from you. If you can’t read text at this distance, increase the font size rather than leaning closer.
- Dual Monitors: If you use two monitors, center your primary monitor directly in front of you. If using two equally, place them side-by-side directly in front of you, with the seams in the middle.
Keyboard & Mouse: Keeping Wrists Happy
- Placement: Keep your keyboard and mouse close to your body to avoid overreaching. Your elbows should remain at a 90-degree angle.
- Wrist Position: Ensure your wrists are straight and relaxed, not bent up, down, or to the side. Use a wrist rest only for resting during pauses, not while typing.
- Mouse Size: Choose a mouse that comfortably fits your hand and allows a relaxed grip. If you experience wrist discomfort, consider an ergonomic or vertical mouse.
Lighting: Banish the Glare
- Natural Light: Position your desk to take advantage of natural light without direct glare on your screen.
- Minimize Glare: Adjust blinds and curtains or use an anti-glare screen protector.
- Task Lighting: Use a task lamp to illuminate your work surface without causing screen glare.
Phone/Headset: Hands-Free is Key
- If you spend a lot of time on the phone, a headset is essential. It allows you to be hands-free and avoid cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder, which is a common cause of neck and shoulder muscle knots.
Footrest: If your feet don’t comfortably rest flat on the floor after adjusting your chair height, use a footrest to support them.

Why is Stretching During Work Important?

Stretching in the workplace is crucial for employee well-being and productivity. Research supports the effectiveness of stretching and other interventions in reducing musculoskeletal pain and improving workplace functional capacity (Karantana et al., 2023). Here’s why incorporating regular stretches is essential:

Boosts Productivity: Regular stretching can alleviate stiffness and discomfort, increasing focus and efficiency throughout the workday.
Reduces Pain & Injury Risk: Stretching helps prevent common workplace injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and back pain, by improving flexibility and circulation.
Enhances Employee Morale: Offering stretching breaks demonstrates a commitment to employee health, fosters a positive work environment, and reduces stress.
Improves Posture & Circulation: Stretching counters the adverse effects of prolonged sitting, promoting better posture and healthier blood flow.

What Kind of Stretches Can I Do at Work?

Even with a perfectly adjusted, ergonomically sound workstation, staying in the same position for prolonged periods is a recipe for muscle knots and discomfort. Our bodies are designed for movement, and restricting that natural inclination hinders blood flow, leads to muscle fatigue, and encourages stubborn muscle knots to form.

This is where the power of movement comes in, transform your workday from a static marathon into a dynamic, body-friendly routine.

Neck Release: Use the Knotty Tiger® Jr. Roller Ball Knot Buster to roll the neck muscles, followed by stretching.
- Gently drop your right ear towards your right shoulder, holding for 15-20 seconds.
- Repeat on the left side.
- Then, finish by gently dropping your chin to your chest.

Shoulder Rolls: Use the Tiger Ball® 2.6 Massage-on-a Rope® to release tension between the shoulder blades, followed by shoulder rolls.
- Roll your shoulders backward in a circular motion several times, then forward.

Wrist and Finger Stretches: Use the Knotty Tiger® Jr. Roller Ball Knot Buster to roll the forearm muscles, followed by stretching.
- Extend one arm forward, palm up. With your other hand, gently pull your fingers towards the floor to stretch the wrist. Repeat palm down.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Make fists and gently rotate your wrists.

Hamstring Stretches: Use the Original 18” Handheld Foam Roller to roll the hamstrings, followed by stretching the hamstrings.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Hinge forward at the hips, reaching your hands towards the floor. You should feel slight discomfort in the back of the thigh (your hamstrings).
- Hold for 20 – 30 seconds.

Create New Habits:

Integrate Movement Throughout Your Day: Beyond structured breaks, look for opportunities to move naturally:
- Walk to Talk: Instead of emailing or instant messaging a colleague, walk over to their desk (if appropriate).
- Take the Stairs: Opt for stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.
- Stand During Calls: Use phone calls as a time to stand up and walk around when possible.
- Lunchtime Stroll: Use part of your lunch break for a brisk walk outdoors, getting some fresh air and movement.
- Hydration Walks: Use your trips to refill your water bottle as mini breaks. Remember, staying hydrated is crucial too, as dehydration can exacerbate muscle cramps and fatigue.

Adopting these active habits and listening to your body’s signals will dramatically reduce the likelihood of muscle knots forming, improve circulation, and energize you throughout your workday.

Key Takeaways

Understand What Causes Your Pain: Muscle knots are small, contracted sections of muscle that can’t relax, scientifically called myofascial trigger points. Daily work habits like repetitive movements, poor posture, prolonged sitting, and stress often cause them.
Optimize Your Workstation Ergonomics: Proactively set up your work area to prevent strain. Key adjustments include positioning the top of your monitor at or slightly below eye level, adjusting your chair so your feet are flat on the floor with knees at a 90-degree angle, and keeping your wrists straight while typing.
Movement is Non-Negotiable: Even in a perfectly ergonomic setup, sitting or standing in one position for prolonged periods reduces blood flow and can cause knots. Bodies are designed for movement, which is essential for staying pain-free at work.
Incorporate Simple Stretches: Regularly performing stretches at your desk can improve circulation, reduce the risk of injury, and boost productivity. Simple, practical exercises include neck releases (ear to shoulder), shoulder rolls, and wrist stretches.
Build Active Habits into Your Routine: Look for small opportunities to move throughout the day beyond formal stretching breaks. Take the stairs, stand up and walk around during phone calls, or briefly stroll during your lunch break.

Conclusion

You don’t have to accept workplace pain and muscle knots as your daily reality. Taking charge of your workspace setup and adding mindful movement to your routine can make your workday feel less like a strain and more comfortably productive.

There’s no need to wait for pain to strike, stiffness to become unbearable, or an injury to take you out of commission. Take control of your well-being at work today. Review your workstation with our checklist, set some helpful reminders to take small breaks, and share this guide with your colleagues. After all, a pain-free workday is a happier and more productive workday for the whole team.

References

Karantana, I., Tsepis, E., Kalliadas, G., & Donti, O. (2023). A Comprehensive Workplace Exercise Intervention to Reduce Musculoskeletal Pain and Improve Functional Capacity in Office Workers: A Randomized Controlled Study. Healthcare, 12(9), 915. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12090915

For more information on our awesome tools and programming:

Website: www.tigertailusa.com

Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program.

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About the Author: Dr. Julie Zuleger

Dr. Julie Zuleger has over 20 years of experience as a Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Corrective Exercise Specialist, RYT-500 Yoga Instructor, and Human Movement Specialist. Julie promotes self-care using massage tools and stretching-based programs and teaches continuing education courses for yoga teachers, massage therapists, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning, fitness, and wellness professionals. Julie holds a PhD in Education and is the Director of Kinesiology and Education at Tiger Tail USA.

Why Do I Get Muscle Knots at Work? How Can I Prevent Muscle Knots?

by Julie Zuleger, Ph.D., CSCS, RYT-500, LMT

What are muscle knots?

Why Do I Get Muscle Knots at Work?

How Can I Set Up an Ergonomic Workspace?

Why is Stretching During Work Important?

What Kind of Stretches Can I Do at Work?

Create New Habits:

Key Takeaways

Conclusion

References

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

About the Author: Dr. Julie Zuleger

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