Muscle Soreness after exercise
We all know that postural muscles get tired and that creates knots. But muscles also get tired after exercises, this is called DOMS – delayed onset muscle soreness.
DOMS is characterised by a dull, aching pain in the affected muscle, often combined with tenderness and stiffness. The pain is typically felt only when the muscle is stretched, contracted or put under pressure, but otherwise the muscle feels fine. The soreness usually increases in intensity in the first 24 hours after exercise. It peaks from 24 to 72 hours, then subsides and disappears up to seven days after exercise.
DOMS can be the reason why sporty people feel aches and pains when they are treated if they have recently been pushing themselves when exercising.
Unfortunately stretching or warming up the muscles does not prevent DOMS but gradually increasing the intensity of the exercise does.
If treatment is desired, any measure that increases blood flow to the muscle, such as hot baths, sauna or a massage may help.
Related Posts
Anxiety reduction & massage?
I know that I often say that one of the benefits of massage is that it may reduce anxiety. I think most people would agree that being in hospital or undergoing hospital procedures may makes us feel anxious. So I was interested in a recent study that looked at the effectiveness of massage with or without guided imagery (a therapist talking you through a scene to help you relax), prior to cardiac catheterisation. As you can imagine anxiety is very common in patients prior to cardiac catheterisation, which can lead to high blood pressure and increase the amount of sedation necessary to complete the procedure. Fifty five patients opted to receive either a 15-minute massage (31 patients) and a 20 minute guided imagery (24 patients) in a quiet area of the hospital prior to cardiac catheterisation. Self-report anxiety levels, blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated in the research participants as well as matched for comparison to a control group not taking part in the study. The results indicated that massage, with or without guided imagery, produced significant reductions in self-reported anxiety, with the combined intervention having a more pronounced effect. In addition a lower diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were found when compared to the control group. In my experience slow, deep stokes help to reduce anxiety and as a team we often incorporate this into treatments. References Amstrong K, Dixon S, May S, Patricolo GE (2014). Anxiety reduction in patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation, following massage and guided imagery. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 20 (4): 334 - 338.
What are postural muscles?
Postural muscles are also referred to as core stability muscles, are found deep in the body. The first muscles that typically come to mind with posture are the muscles along the spine. The erector spinae muscles run along the bones of your spine, the vertebrae, from your neck all the way to your tailbone. These muscles hold the spine in extension or upright, counteracting the pull of gravity. Abdominal muscles support the structures at the front of your trunk, balancing the pull of your back extensors. The quadratus luborum muscles at the top of your pelvis help stabilize the pelvis and spine in the lower back in an upright position. The purpose of postural muscles is to keep good posture in the field of gravity. These muscles consist mostly of slow-twitch muscle fibres and have a greater capacity for prolonged use but are prone to over working. This means if you have poor posture or you have long periods of sitting immobile your postural muscles get tired and they become weak and less efficient. The longer the situation continues the more likely you are to develop postural imbalances and they finally you get knots and pain!
