Muscle cramps · Muscle spasms · Joint pain · Myofascial pain syndrome. Take it easy for a few days while your body adjusts, Torgan says. Or try doing some light exercise, such as walking or swimming, she suggests. Keeping your muscle moving may also provide some relief.
Your muscles will usually stop hurting in 2 to 5 days and you won't need medical attention. You should be able to relieve symptoms yourself with ice packs, massages, light stretches, or by taking pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medications. Feeling your muscles hurt or stiffen for a few days after exercise is normal and is known as late-onset muscle pain (DOMS). Late-onset muscle pain usually affects only the parts of the body that were worked on, so you may be able to work other muscle groups while letting the fatigued ones recover.
It's important to distinguish the difference between moderate exercise-induced muscle pain and muscle overuse or injury. Late-onset muscle pain is common after exercise and usually means muscles are getting stronger. When it comes to your exercises, it's important to listen to your body and know when something really isn't right, whether it's muscle pain that compromises your fitness, more muscle pain than usual, or real harmful pain that could indicate an injury. When you use the same muscles repeatedly at work or during exercise, your muscles may hurt from overuse.
To be more specific, says Draper, who is also a member of the heat-sensitive pain council, late-onset muscle pain occurs when the muscle performs an eccentric or elongated contraction.
