Muscle Soreness vs Muscle Pain

Getting a good work out after spending months or even years away from the gym can leave anyone with muscle soreness making your daily routines a little more challenging. Soreness is a normal part of working out, but injury on the other hand is something you should take serious and consult your medical provider. I will be walking you through the effects of both muscle soreness and muscle injury and how to differentiate the two.

Muscle soreness is caused by micro tears in the muscle from working out which brings inflammation and mild pain. Muscle soreness can begin later that day from working out up until a couple of days after your workout depending on how intense your workout was. Once you hit peak soreness the pain will start to decrease and you should be in the clear of any injuries. A couple of ways to treat muscle soreness is to stay active, perform some light stretching or a use a foam rollers and stay hydrated.

Pain lasting more than a couple of days and is hindering any movements or daily activities should be checked out by a medical professional. Waiting for the pain to reside is never a good thing as it can cause further injury which can put a halt to your workouts and to your health goals. Now you have a better understanding of muscle soreness vs muscle pain and if you need further explanation talk to a health care professional.

John Gutierrez

IFFH Trainer