Sore Muscle Treatments
Anyone who engages in regular physical activity will get sore muscles at one time or another. For professional athletes, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts, this can be an even more common complaint. Treating sore muscles is therefore an important aspect of any fitness and training regime.
Sore muscles is a condition that is thought to be a result of inflammation of the muscle fibers which occurs after prolonged or intense usage. Sore muscles, also known as DOMS, results from the micro tears that occur in the muscles after working them out.
There are a variety of ways to treat sore muscles. Below are some of the most effective and most common means to combat muscle soreness so that you can get back at it.
Rest: Rest is of course the most obvious solution to muscle soreness. Just by taking a break from physical activity for two or more days you can greatly reduce sore muscles. If you are particularly sore you may need to take off up to a week. This recovery period can be all that is needed to adjust and feel better. Usually the more intense the workout especially if you are new to the routine, the longer it will take for soreness to dissipate.
Ice: Icing sore muscles is another method of dealing with inflammation. Applying ice as soon as possible, or as soon as the aching begins will give you the most effective relief. After two days of soreness, ice will probably have very little effect, so use the ice as soon as the inflammation and soreness set in.
Stretching. Stretching is another way to relieve sore muscles. Stretching is an important means of avoiding injury as well so stretching before and after a workout is key. While stretching by itself might not prevent sore muscles, some athletes swear that it does help to speed up recovery times.
Finally, if all else fails, taking some over the counter anti-inflammatory medications might be in order, particularly if you are very sore. These can offer relief to sore muscles while the inner healing takes place. You might also do well however to check out some natural anti-inflammatory herbs and food at your local health food store.