Muscle Soreness or Injury

What is the difference between muscle soreness and muscle injury pain

Muscle loss is caused by not using that particular muscle for a long period of time. It can result in a feeling of muscle weakness, feeling like you have a lack of strength and needing to over exert yourself to perform normal muscle movements.

It is important to prepare your muscles for exercise by slowly progressing into the physical activity. Start off at a lighter intensity and doing less and slowly build on the intensity, frequency and duration as your muscles begin to feel the benefits of exercising. If a particular activity is new for your muscles or you haven’t performed that activity in a long time, it is normal to experience delayed onset muscle soreness.

Access our PHYSIO's GUIDE on dealing with 9 of the most common Sporting Injuries

Below is some information that helps you to differentiate between that normal feeling of DOMS and potential injury.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

• Stiffness, discomfort or pain in the muscles after strenuous physical activity that is new to you.
• Caused by micro trauma in muscle fibres after completing repetitive movements with added resistance.
• Pain is felt approximately 24 hours after the activity and typically lasts up to 2-5 days.
• Stretching the affected muscle recreates the painful feeling, however there should be little to no pain at rest.
• No treatment required however performing light exercise, massage and applying heat packs can increase blood flow to the affected muscles and speed up recovery.

Injury (Muscle Strains)

• Pain caused by damaging muscles or tendons with sudden lengthening of the tissue.
• Pain is usually felt straight away or shortly after the activity, and depending on the extent of damage, recovery time can typically be 6-8 weeks.
• Pain may be felt at rest but general use of the affected muscle will bring on symptoms of pain.
• Initial management is RICER - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, Referral (to be assessed by a musculoskeletal professional prior to treatment).

Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are a different thing all together. A cramp is defined as a spontaneous or involuntary electrical activity of a large number of these skeletal muscle fibres that quickly develops into a painful, sustained contraction (muscle spasm) and lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes- or even longer.

For more information on these download our PDF : Muscle Cramps

Next time you experience muscle pain or stiffness ask yourself when the pain started to occur.

• The next day after being physically active? You are typically experiencing delayed onset muscle soreness and pain should subside after 3-5 days.
• Straight away? It may be a muscular strain, RICER, and visit our physios or your health professional to get it investigated.

For a comprehensive assessment and professional skilled management of all you musculoskeletal strains and sprains, make an appointment at either of our convenient locations at Hindmarsh and Prospect