[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-18-02 AT 00:46AM (Est)[/font][p]Hey, Bobbi,
As unpleasant as it sounds, try icing the area. Ice slows down the pain signals, decreases inflammation and provides a temporary numbness that is wonderful.
As a PT myself, I would suggest you find a sports or orthopaedic physical therapist or a DO--the DOs have all the training and priviledges of an MD, and manipulative training of a chiro. BTW, PTs can also do spinal mobilizations, too.
Sometimes working the back can lead to a vertebra getting slightly out of alignment, causing nerve firing to go haywire, which leads to the spasms, or knots as you mentioned. While a massage therapist can work the soft tissue, a PT can do both soft tissue manipulation and spinal mobilization and will be able to assess both the muscular and skeletal components.
But, ice, a good rubdown by your DH and some stretching just may do the trick. Good luck and e-mail me if you have any questions about physical therapy treatment.
Maribeth