Delayed-onset muscle soreness after exercise is uncomfortable in mild cases, and severe cases may have you questioning whether you ever want to go back to the gym. Muscle overuse during vigorous exercise leads to often painful consequences. However, muscle aches and pains go away over time, and in the meantime, there are interventions you can implement to make the soreness and pain after exercise more manageable.
Step 1
Apply cold or ice packs to the affected muscles for the first 1 to 3 days of post-exercise pain. The application of cold helps muscle soreness by relieving both inflammation and pain.
Step 2
Use a heating pad to apply heat to overused, sore muscles after the first 24 to 72 hours.
Step 3
Take over-the-counter pain medications as needed. Acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, ibuprofen and aspirin are all good options for painful muscles. Choose the pain medication that has worked best for you in the past.
Step 4
Massage the affected muscles often to relieve stiffness and associated pain.
Step 5
Rest your muscles as often as possible, and try to get enough sleep so that your body can gradually recover.
Step 6
Call your health care provider if your muscle pain becomes unmanageable with over-the-counter pain medications. Severe pain may warrant prescription pain medication, as well as an evaluation by your doctor to rule out more severe injuries.
Tips and Warnings
- Pain from strained muscles can last 7 days, and usually is the worst during day 2. Therefore, recovering from overexercising takes some patience.
- When taking over-the-counter pain medications, always follow the manufacturer's dosing instructions. If your muscle pain remains intolerable after the maximum dose, call your doctor.
Things You'll Need
- Over-the-counter pain medications
- Ice packs or cold packs
- Heating pad
