Muscle pain comes after about half a day after a hard or long workout. This is caused by microscopic damage to muscle fibers caused by exercise, and our muscles increase in volume through the process of tearing and repairing muscle fibers. In other words, muscle pain is a sign that your muscles are growing.
However, this is a story where it is quite painful. There are people who think that the more severe the muscle pain, the better the exercise effect, or the more muscle pain, the more effective the exercise, but this is a dangerous idea.
When muscle pain is severe after exercise, you should take a break｜Source: Clip Art Korea
Did you have to exercise properly if you had muscle pain?
If there is no muscle pain, wouldn’t I be able to exercise properly? Regarding this, orthopedic surgeon Kim Joon-hee replied that it depends on the purpose of exercise.
Director Kim said, “In the case of weight training with heavy weights for the purpose of muscle hypertrophy, muscle fiber tearing and recovery processes are necessary and muscle fiber expansion processes. Therefore, moderate muscle soreness can be seen as an indicator of exercise effectiveness.” On the other hand, it is advisable not to judge the exercise effect based on muscle soreness for endurance-oriented exercise such as marathons and long-distance running. This is because endurance-focused exercise develops muscle fibers even if there is no post-exercise muscle soreness.
When you have muscle pain, keep exercising versus resting
Muscle soreness that appears 24 to 48 hours after exercise is called delayed muscle soreness. This is an inflammatory reaction in the tissue due to the accumulation of fine damage to muscle fibers, which usually disappears naturally after 2 to 4 days.
It’s okay to continue exercising if you have mild muscle pain that is a little stiff and throbbing when you move. However, if you have severe muscle soreness, you should take a break from exercise until the soreness goes away. This is because if you ignore the pain and continue to exercise, the damage to the muscles can worsen and inflammation can occur. Additionally, if the damaged muscle fiber is not given time to heal, the muscle cannot grow properly.
In severe cases, ‘rhabdomyolysis’ can occur. Rhabdomyolysis is a condition where muscles are necrotic due to intense exercise, etc., and muscle components are released into the blood. Muscle pain and stiffness, muscle weakness, and red or brown urine are the main symptoms, and muscle weakness may also occur.
If the pain persists even after enough rest from exercise, or if the pain is severe, you should see a doctor. Director Kim Joon-hee said, “If you don’t exercise for a while, or if you apply too much weight or apply too much force suddenly, dozens of muscle fibers can tear at once.” This is a suspicious condition, so you should go to hospital and get tested.”
How to get rid of muscle pain quickly?
So, what can you do to get rid of muscle pain fast? Director Kim Jun-hee emphasized the importance of stretching after exercise. It is said that if you release stiff muscles by stretching, it is effective in speeding up muscle recovery and relieving muscle pain. In addition, he said that taking a bath or sauna is good, because raising the body temperature increases blood flow to the muscles and speeds up recovery by releasing muscle tension. Massage is also a good option. At this stage, it is good to massage along the texture of the muscle.
Support = Haidaq Counseling Doctor Kim Joon-hee (orthopedic surgeon)
