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Writer's pictureDr. Gregory Lowe PT, DPT, cert. MDT, CSCS

What is DOMS? Should I be Worried About it?


You know the feeling when you wake up a day or two after a hard workout and suddenly feel that muscle stiffness and ache as you crawl out of bed? 

 

When then that soreness REALLY starts to hit you??

 

You're probably experiencing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)!

 

DOMS is the soreness felt 24-48 hours after a hard workout or exercise effort. It typically occurs after a weight-lifting session, a hard running or cycling effort, for example, or any activity performed above your normal level of intensity. 

 

Following this increased physical effort, microscopic tears develop in the muscle fibers used in the activity performed, and the body responds by increasing inflammation to promote healing in these muscle fibers. This increased inflammation can cause the presence of DOMS.

 

Should you be worried about it? No!

 

This delayed muscle soreness is a normal bodily response following a hard effort and should dissipate within about 72 hours of the effort that caused the soreness. 

 

This is a sign that your body is recovering from the hard effort performed and is sending signals to promote healing, which will help the body adapt and grow stronger for the next time this effort is performed!

 

As long as the feeling of DOMS presents as more generalized with an achey and dull soreness that feels mostly equal on both sides, you have nothing to worry about! This soreness is a normal response to your body recovering from a tough effort.

 

When should you be concerned about DOMS?

 

Concern should develop if the soreness becomes isolated to one side, a sharp or stabbing pinpoint pain that feels greater than a 7 out of 10 on the pain scale occurs, or noticeable swelling arises with the pain. 

 

In that case, resting and recovering longer may be necessary as well as seeking help from a physical therapist– you can easily fill out this form to schedule a completely free phone consultation at AWAKEN Performance Rehab to determine the root cause of your pain!

 

It is better to immediately seek guidance from a medical professional than to push through it and potentially risk developing a chronic injury!

 

Otherwise, if the muscle soreness experienced a day or two following a hard workout includes that dull, achey, overall soreness, it’s completely safe to continue performing gentle exercise. 

 

It’s important to follow tough workout sessions with recovery days that may include some light mobility work, an easy shake-out run, lightly cross-training, some stretching or yoga, or even a complete day off.

 

Discover what works for your individual body to come back to training feeling recovered and stronger than before!

 

And if you are experiencing persistent pain from exercise, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at AWAKEN! 

 

Our passion is helping athletes and active individuals get out of pain, stay out of pain and AWAKEN THEIR POTENTIAL!!!

 

We will help determine the ROOT CAUSE of your pain, spend quality one-on-one time with you to educate you on realistic strategies on reducing your pain in order to PREVENT RECURRENCE of the pain, and ultimately help you AWAKEN YOUR POTENTIAL in whatever activity you’re most passionate about!! 

 

Awakening your potential is the step often overlooked by most physical therapy clinics; but at AWAKEN, we are determined to help you return to your activity BETTER than before!

 
 

Written by:

Dr. Gregory Lowe PT, DPT, cert. MDT, CSCS

Licensed Physical Therapist (PT)

Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (cert. MDT)

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

Level 1 Certification in Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training

Level 1 & 2 Certified Running Gait Analyst

Level 1 Certified Endurance Running Coach

&


Mackenzie Lowe

USATF Level 1 Certified Running Coach

AWAKEN Social Media & Marketing Expert

Elite Distance Runner









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