SYMPTOMS

What is muscle soreness?

Muscle soreness is a type of muscle fatigue. Mild cases may involve slight stiffness in the muscles, which eases slightly with movement. Severe cases can cause intense pain, muscle swelling, and significantly impair activity and daily life ^[1].

Muscle soreness can result from excessive exercise, poor posture during work, infectious diseases, and other causes. The most common type is delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which occurs when the body suddenly resumes exercise after a period of rest or engages in high-intensity exercise, leading to minor muscle damage and progressively worsening soreness with delayed onset. Typically, this reaction peaks 24–72 hours after exercise and gradually subsides within 5–7 days.

In addition to causing muscle pain, DOMS can also lead to restricted joint movement, altered joint proprioception, and tissue swelling, increasing the risk of sports injuries ^[2].

It occurs more frequently in athletes during phases such as post-vacation recovery, long competition breaks, or resuming training after prolonged inactivity ^[1].

TREATMENT

How to Relieve or Alleviate Muscle Soreness?

• Stretching: Proper stretching can promote blood circulation. Patients can perform appropriate stretching after exercise or use a foam roller to assist, which can effectively relieve muscle fatigue, improve blood flow, and alleviate symptoms. Specific stretching methods include standing straight and bending forward to touch the ground with both palms; raising crossed fingers overhead while standing until reaching the limit; sitting and leaning the body to one side until the hand touches the foot on that side. Stretching should generally last around 15 seconds.

• Massage and Myofascial Release: Massage and myofascial release can accelerate fluid circulation and help remove the chemicals responsible for delayed-onset muscle soreness ^[1]. During massage, kneading techniques can be used, where the thumb is naturally extended outward while the other four fingers are closed, and the thumb and fingers gently knead the sore area. The forearm drives the wrist in a mild rotating motion, ensuring moderate pressure is applied.

• Ice or Heat Therapy: Acute muscle soreness after exercise can be quickly relieved with ice application. For delayed-onset muscle soreness, heat therapy can promote blood circulation and speed up symptom relief. A simple heat therapy method involves soaking a towel in hot water and placing it on the sore area for at least 15 minutes, 2–3 times daily, replacing the towel when it cools ^[3].

How to Treat Muscle Soreness?

• Anti-inflammatory and Pain-relief Medication: Taking anti-inflammatory and pain-relief drugs, such as aspirin or diclofenac sodium tablets, can effectively reduce symptoms ^[3].
• Topical Medication: Applying topical medications like Voltaren Emulgel to the sore area can help alleviate muscle pain ^[3].
• Nutritional Supplements: Consuming protein-based supplements can effectively reduce symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness and promote physical recovery ^[3].
• Radial Shockwave Therapy: This clinical method can relieve muscle tension and soft tissue pain, offering advantages such as simplicity, safety, non-invasiveness, and significant effectiveness ^[1].

DIAGNOSIS

When should you go to the hospital for muscle soreness?

Seek medical attention promptly if the following conditions occur ^[1]:

• Severe muscle pain that significantly affects daily activities;
• Muscle swelling with limited mobility;
• Fever, severe cough, or runny nose;
• Psychological symptoms such as anxiety, low self-esteem, irritability, or insomnia;
• Other severe, persistent, or progressive symptoms.

Which department should you visit first for muscle soreness?

• If experiencing muscle soreness, it is recommended to visit the Orthopedics department;
• If muscle soreness is accompanied by symptoms like cough or runny nose, visit the Respiratory Medicine department;
• If accompanied by fever or similar symptoms, visit the Infectious Diseases department.

POTENTIAL DISEASES

What Diseases Can Cause Muscle Soreness?

• Muscle strain: Improper posture during prolonged heavy lifting can lead to muscle strain, which may cause muscle soreness.
• Scoliosis: Due to imbalanced posture, individuals with scoliosis may experience difficulty standing and walking, leading to widespread muscle soreness and limited mobility in the neck, shoulders, waist, and back ^[3].
• Osteoporosis: Reduced bone formation can trigger related inflammation or muscle strain, resulting in muscle soreness.
• Myofascitis: Insufficient blood and oxygen supply to muscles and impaired metabolite clearance can cause muscle soreness and restricted movement ^[4].
• Frozen shoulder: Chronic shoulder injuries caused by overuse, trauma, or certain diseases (e.g., cervical spondylosis, cardiopulmonary diseases, biliary tract diseases) ^[5] may lead to muscle soreness, joint pain, swelling, localized tenderness, and limited mobility.
• Others: Influenza, tendonitis, periostitis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions can also cause varying degrees of muscle soreness.