Delayed onset muscle soreness : treatment strategies and performance factors.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanisms and treatment interventions without systematic search or meta-analytic methodology.
PubMed 12617692 · doi:10.2165/00007256-200333020-00005
What was done
Narrative review evaluating proposed mechanisms of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), its impact on athletic performance (range of motion, peak torque, injury risk), and the efficacy of treatment modalities including NSAIDs, massage, cryotherapy, stretching, homeopathy, ultrasound, electrical current, and exercise.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or statistical results. Qualitatively, it reports that NSAIDs have dose- and timing-dependent effects and massage shows variable outcomes based on technique and timing. Cryotherapy, stretching, homeopathy, ultrasound, and electrical modalities demonstrated no effect on DOMS symptoms, while exercise provided the most effective, albeit temporary, pain relief.
Why it matters
This synthesis summarizes evidence against several popular passive recovery methods (like stretching and cryotherapy) for DOMS, recommending progressive training load introduction and active recovery over passive modalities.
Limits
The abstract provides no sample size, search strategy, inclusion criteria, or quantitative metrics. As a narrative review, it is vulnerable to selection bias and provides only qualitative conclusions.
Cited by
- supports Exercise-induced muscle soreness is primarily caused by the eccentric component of exercise.