Muscle blog series: Part 4: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS):

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What is DOMS?


DOMS is a phenomenon of muscle pain, muscle soreness or muscle stiffness that usually occurs one to two days after exercise. Most commonly people get DOMS when they perform unaccustomed exercise like beginning a new exercise program, changing their exercise routine, or increasing the duration or intensity of their exercise routine. People also noticed DOMS more when they have performed a lot of eccentric muscle work, this is when you contract a muscle and are lengthening it at the same time, for example when throwing a ball, the muscles of the shoulder blade and the muscles that attach the shoulder blade to the spine are contracting to decelerate the arm/shoulder/shoulder blade, so they are working hard but lengthening.

What causes DOMS?

There have been several theories to explain what causes DOMS. Some have suggested a build up of lactate in the muscle causing chemically induced pain but more likely it is microscopic tearing of the muscle fibres. This would make more sense as eccentric training causes the worst DOMS and when a muscle eccentrically contracts it is pretty much pulled apart at a microscopic level.

So how do I prevent DOMS?

Well to lessen the severity or chance of getting it you need to plan out your training so that it is progressive in how it is advanced over the weeks. However DOMS isn't harmful and some people actually feel like getting it means they have trained hard enough! (Me included)

So what helps when you have it?

Stretching?

It appears not, based on the evidence: Stretching before or after exercise doesn't produce clinically important reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (Herbert et al 2011)
However I believe that if you have DOMS then stretching does help, although the stretches are pretty uncomfortable to do but you tend to feel better afterwards.

What else can help DOMS?

Often people find massage to be helpful and feel recovery is sped up and soreness reduced.

There was some evidence that cold-water immersion reduces delayed onset muscle soreness after exercise (Bleakley et al 2012)

But….
There was no evidence that Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helped people with DOMS (Bennett et al 2005)

So overall it’s nothing to worry about and it will pass within several days. If it lasts longer or comes on as you are exercising then it isn’t DOMS and it’s more likely to be a muscle strain (See Muscle blog article part 2: Muscle injury)

If you need any further information or would like to book an appointment then call Hawkes Physiotherapy on 01782 771861 or 07866195914
Keep posted for the next article in the muscle blog series over the coming weeks.



Comments

  1. Pain Management NYC8 March 2019 at 08:58

    Muscle aches and pains are common and can involve more than one muscle at the same time. Muscle pain can also involve the soft tissues that surround muscles. Muscle pain is most frequently related to tension, overuse, or muscle injury from physically demanding work. Get Professional pain management in NYC.
    Suffering from muscle pain can be distressing and limit your ability to move freely. professional pain management in NYC is a unique and focused combination of skills that permits professional pain management in NYC experts to treat your muscles pain.

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  2. Biswabhusan7 July 2019 at 20:57

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  3. Ellie28 August 2019 at 08:40

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