One of my close friends has rheumatoid arthritis and this is similar to what happens to her. She has inflamed joints that will swell up pretty much anywhere.

I have bad muscle tension but now have very small knots that kind of "bead up" under my skin all over my body. Even a light massage or pressure on them will get rid of them but leave a non-painful bruise. This does not seem serious enough for a visit with the doctor but is there any way to keep the knots away in the first place?