Muscle soreness and delayed-onset muscle soreness.

SUMMARY Immediate and delayed-onset muscle soreness differ mainly in chronology of pre-sentation. Both conditions share the same quality of pain, eliciting and relievingactivities and a varying degree of functional deficits. There is no single mechanism formuscle soreness; instead, it is a culmination of 6 different mechanisms. Thedeveloping pathway of DOMS begins with microtrauma to muscles and thensurrounding connective tissues. Microtrauma is then followed by an inflammatoryprocess and subsequent shifts of fluid and electrolytes. Throughout the progressionof these events, muscle spasms may be present, exacerbating the overall condition.There are a multitude of modalities to manage the associated symptoms ofimmediate soreness and DOMS. Outcomes of each modality seem to be as diverseas the modalities themselves. The judicious use of NSAIDs and continued exerciseare suggested to be the most reliable methods and recommended. This review articleand each study cited, however, represent just one part of the clinician’s decision-making process.