Exercise may be as good as massage for muscle soreness

Exercise may be as good as massage for muscle soreness: Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Stone Hearth News

Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research

POST ACCEPTANCE, 21 March 2013
doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182908610
Acute effects of massage or active exercise in relieving muscle soreness: Randomized controlled trial
Andersen, Lars L. PhD; Jay, Kenneth MSc; Andersen, Christoffer H. PhD; Jakobsen, Markus D. MSc; Sundstrup, Emil MSc; Topp, Robert RN, PhD; Behm, David G. PhD
Published Ahead-of-Print
Abstract
Massage is commonly believed to be the best modality for relieving muscle soreness.
However, actively warming up the muscles with exercise may be an effective alternative.
The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effect of massage with active exercise for relieving muscle soreness.
Twenty healthy female volunteers (mean age 32 years) participated in this examiner-blind randomized controlled trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01478451). Participants performed eccentric contractions for the upper trapezius muscle on a Biodex dynamometer.
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) presented 48 hours (h) later, at which participants 1) received ten minutes (min) of massage of the trapezius muscle or 2) performed ten min of active exercise (shoulder shrugs 10 x 10 reps) with increasing elastic resistance (Thera-Band). First, one treatment was randomly applied to one shoulder while the contralateral shoulder served as passive control.

Two hours later the contralateral resting shoulder received the other treatment.
Participants rated intensity of soreness (scale 0-10) and a blinded examiner took measures of pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the upper trapezius immediately before treatment and 0, 10, 20 and 60 min after treatment 48 h post eccentric exercise.
Immediately prior to treatment intensity of soreness was 5.0 (SD 2.2) and PPT was 138 (SD 78) kPa.
In response to treatment, a significant treatment by time interaction was found for intensity of soreness (P<0.001) and PPT (P<0.05).
Compared with control, both active exercise and massage significantly reduced intensity of soreness and increased PPT (i.e. reduced pain sensitivity).
For both types of treatment the greatest effect on perceived soreness occurred immediately after treatment, while the effect on PPT peaked 20 min after treatment.
In conclusion, active exercise using elastic resistance provides similar acute relief of muscle soreness as compared with massage.
Coaches, therapists and athletes can use either active warm-up or massage to reduce DOMS acutely, e.g. before competition or strenuous work, but should be aware that the effect is temporary, i.e. the greatest effects occurs during the first 20 min after treatment and diminishes within an hour.
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