Best Remedy for Muscle Soreness?

[starpuck]

Hey all!     Just figured I'd ask in an area where there's likely to be a lot of traffic.    I am looking for what remedies have worked for recovering from serious muscle pain.    I say serious, because - well, I think something is wrong with me lol!   I have a high tolerance for pain.  (I think I do anyway.  I've had three foot surgeries and during all three recoveries, I've had only to take the painkillers for the first day -then Tylenol for a day, then nothing by day 3.)   But post workout muscle pain- when I get it (like I got it now because I flaked out for 3 weeks during December and DIDN'T work out) seriously debilitates me.   

 

My legs (I did deadlifts and weighted lunges) are seriously refusing to function.  When I try to stand up or sit, fiery pain of fieriness!   And even walking, I have to shorten my stride or be hit with pain strong enough to make me nauseated.  At night while I'm sleeping, if I try to roll over, the pain wakes me up.    I stretch, (though that is brutal too) and I try to make sure I do some exercise the following day (I played an hour of Dance Central to get the blood flowing last night) but nothing gives me any relief.

 

This 'back on the wagon' pain is pretty bad and it can sometimes take up to 5-6 days to really, truly dissipate.

 

What have you guys had luck with as far as getting some relief?    There's gotta be some super hidden nerd cheat code for getting some help with this.  Right?

 

 

[Duality]

If you go at it too hard after a break, you tear your muscles a lot more because they've become relaxed, first week of returning you have to go mellow. But I'm assuming you've learned that the hard way now.

 

Foam rolling (I just use my thumbs to massage the inflammation points I have in my muscles), I take creatine, it helps to prevent soreness, make sure your protein intake is high and finally time.

 

That's about what I know xD

[Raev]

I'd also suggest deloading 10%, stretch and hydrate often, full nights sleep and warm up with 25% of the workout weight to help get the blood flowing to the muscles.

 

There is also vitamin M (motrin), which I rely on from time to time.

[Sukiyo151]

Take it easier on your work outs. It's a gradual muscle growth that will give you success in the end. Over doing it and being unable to move and sleep is not good. Getting strong takes time! I get excited and go too far too fast too so I feel your pain ;(

[starpuck]

Yeah, I thought I did tone it back enough.   Dropped 30# from the deadlifts and 10# on the weighted lunges.    It /felt/ light when I was doing it, so I figured I was safe.   LOL.  Until the next morning.    Now I'm trying to hurry up the recovery so I can manage skating upright for the hockey game tomorrow night.

 

Thanks for the tips, keep 'em coming!

 

Motrin huh?  That work better than Advil/Tylenol for muscley stuff?

[alienjenn]

hydration

 

stretching

 

hydration this is my favorite additive 

 

hot bath

 

hydration

 

foam roller

 

hydration and stretching

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and I deload a LOT!!

[JPrev]

Kinda sounds like DOMS, and I'm not aware of anything that can completely prevent it or significantly speed up recovery.  If it's really DOMS, usually you'll feel less pain once you've warmed up and are working out, although the relief tends to be temporary.  Ultimately your body just takes care of it after a week or so, and as long as you don't de-train significantly, you won't have to go through it again.

 

As others have said, you could be experiencing more pain than is typical because you're pushing too hard too quickly, and therefore causing more damage.

[spryte]

So, I have this same problem...only, with the lightest of workouts. After a week of working out, the pain will kind of accumulate to the point where I'm totally demotivated to do it. Having absolutely no real experience with exercising on a regular basis - I've wondered if the level of pain I experience is normal. I can't seem to find any info on others who experience DOMS that are so intense...for someone who's been as sedentary as I have all my life...(like really) is it just a matter of getting used to it? Will it get better over time? Do I just need to start slower than I am...like, once a week?  

[iatetheyeti]

I get this quite a bit, though luckily for me this year I have a housemate who is amazing at massage. If you don't have one of those handy then I'm going to echo what everyone else says about hydration. Keep reasonable mobile as well, no matter how much you don't want to. Letting it all seize up will make it even worse. Unfortunately there's no cheat code to make it simply vanish, though I doubt we're alone in wishing there was...

[JPrev]

So, I have this same problem...only, with the lightest of workouts. After a week of working out, the pain will kind of accumulate to the point where I'm totally demotivated to do it. Having absolutely no real experience with exercising on a regular basis - I've wondered if the level of pain I experience is normal. I can't seem to find any info on others who experience DOMS that are so intense...for someone who's been as sedentary as I have all my life...(like really) is it just a matter of getting used to it? Will it get better over time? Do I just need to start slower than I am...like, once a week?  

 

DOMS can be extremely painful, and given that you're just starting and are doing light workouts, I think DOMS is exactly what you're experiencing.  DOMS isn't necessarily about how "intense" a workout is, it's more about how new it is.  Especially as a beginner, different parts of your foundation are going to take turns being your limiting factor.  So you'll do a new workout, and a certain weak point in your body will limit you.  You'll get DOMS.  After a little while, you'll be able to push past your previous weak point only to find another.  DOMS again.  It's annoying to be sure, but it's also completely normal and only temporary.  If you stick with it, eventually you'll have adapted to your routine and you won't feel anything like DOMS ever again - unless you try something new, which you always should!

 

Here are a couple things that can help you distinguish DOMS - which is normal and to be expected - from acute injury:

• DOMS, true to its name of "Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness," typically peaks at 24-48 hours after something you're not used to.
• (Acute injury tends to be a sudden pain, and can happen regardless of how experienced you are)
• DOMS diminishes when you properly warm up and ease yourself into your workout, although the pain typically returns after the workout is finished.
• (Acute injury will always hurt regardless).

 

So no, don't let DOMS get in the way of your workout. If anything, going too slow is just going to draw out the process.  Keep working out as you have been, but maybe do a longer warmup and don't dive into your most intensive exercises too quickly.

[Raev]

Early on, my DOMS was so bad that I couldn't walk for 36 hours after my initial workout - and I was lifting light.  I kept hydrating, eating and sleeping and within two weeks it was down to manageable levels.  An annoyance at the most.

 

Hydrate.  Full nights sleep (paramount!), good fuel, stretch, warm up.  For most people, you are good to go in a week for the initial breaking the rust off soreness with getting to the "handle it like a pro" levels in two weeks.

[starpuck]

So, I have this same problem...only, with the lightest of workouts. After a week of working out, the pain will kind of accumulate to the point where I'm totally demotivated to do it. Having absolutely no real experience with exercising on a regular basis - I've wondered if the level of pain I experience is normal. I can't seem to find any info on others who experience DOMS that are so intense...for someone who's been as sedentary as I have all my life...(like really) is it just a matter of getting used to it? Will it get better over time? Do I just need to start slower than I am...like, once a week?  

 

 

Yeah Spryte, don't give up.

 

I had a PT at a gym once, that just constantly worked me out to the point of total and utter failure.  I literally spent 10 weeks of my life, in agonizing pain, EVERY day.  And I said the same thing you were thinking.  "This is not worth it."

 

The good news is, I found Nerd Fitness, got motivated, and went with my OWN plan, going at my own limits and have spent the last 9 months working out, getting stronger (I can do 5 unassisted, dead hang pull ups now) and I typically do not have /any/ pain from my workouts.     I just, ya know, took 4 weeks off and then jumped back in and paid the price here.    (And was looking for some faster helper alonger methods to get back to feeling good.)

 

Stick with it, and follow the advice of these fine folk.   Warm up, cool down, stretch, hydrate, and be consistent.    It will get better.

[Radishknight]

Tuna. 

I'm not kidding. I thought my husband was crazy when he handed me a can of tuna 30 minutes after a really hard work out, but it worked. It doesn't magically make all the soreness go away, but it makes a huge difference. 

 

I'll echo everyone else on this point. Make sure you're hydrated. I feel the sore bits more when I haven't been drinking enough water. 

 

Oh and Tiger Balm. I looooove Tiger Balm, it could just be that the smell relaxes me, or the stuff might actually work. *shrugs* 

[MetalNinja]

I'd like to chip in with Epsom salts.  After a hard day I dump a bunch in a bathtub and soak, and it does help.  You can also take straight-up magnesium supplements, but I'd recommend just soaking because magnesium salts have a laxative effect you may not want.

 

You can find big ol' bags at Walgreens or Target or whatever store, they're pretty common and pretty cheap.

[Why not?]

Diclofenac is a prescription-only miracle worker

High (2+ grams/day) Omega-3 intake works for some.

 

Also, jump on the aforementioned foam rolling bandwagon.

[Vian]

back when I was doing crossfit for the first time, I discovered foam rolling. The first few sessions, I was in so much pain the next day, then I started foam rolling afterwards, and the next day, very minimal soreness. It makes such a huge difference.

[Waldo]

1) This happens because you don't exercise often.  Exercise often and it wont happen.

 

2) Time is the best cure.

 

3) Sleep is the second best cure.

 

4) Light activity is the 3rd best cure.

[Archer]

I agree with Waldo.  A regular exercise routine with rest = no soreness.