Just about everyone has experienced the soreness that comes from working out after being inactive for a long time, or soreness after a particularly intense exercise or training session. To help prevent soreness in the future, as well as treat current soreness, it's important to understand how soreness develops and what options you have to relieve the pain and inflammation that can develop along side your sore muscles.
Mild
Mild muscle soreness after exercise is common, especially if you are just starting an exercise routine or if you are working on muscle groups you don't normally target. A common example of this type of soreness is delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, which develops about 12 to 24 hours after you exercise. DOMS develops when exercise creates microscopic tears in the muscle tissue. This is a normal part of the exercise process, but often results in the production of hormone-like protaglandins, which irritate nerve endings and create the feeling of pain or soreness.
Serious
More intense muscle soreness can be the result of more serious muscle injury, such as muscle pulls or more sizable tears in the muscle tissue. Soreness may also come from other injured tissues such as tendon or ligament inflammation or sprains. These types of injuries take longer for the body to heal and, in some cases, may require intervention by a medical professional for treatment. If the pain does not get any better after 24 to 48 hours, this may signal a more serious injury for which you should seek medical attention.
Swelling
Exercise soreness is often associated with swelling in the areas where muscles are affected. To address the swelling, use the RICE method, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Rest the area that is sore, which may involve sitting or lying down. Ice the affected area to help reduce inflammation. If necessary, place a compression bandage on the area to also help swelling. The area should also be elevated above the level of your heart if possible to help encourage draining.
Pain
The pain associated with exercise soreness can be treated through the use of over-the-counter pain medications. OTC pain medications are divided into two main types, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. NSAIDs include common pain medications like aspirin, naproxen and ibuprofen. These medications work by either affecting the pain messages in the brain or reducing the production prostaglandins.
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