You’ve spent the morning hitting the trails at MacRitchie Reservoir and now your legs feel like they’re on fire. Or maybe you’ve finished your 6pm post-work pilates class and your core muscles feel like you’ve done a thousand sit-ups. As the soreness continues, you wonder: should I still exercise with sore muscles?
It’s a common dilemma—is that post-exercise stiffness a sign of progress or a warning to rest? Understanding the difference between normal body aches after exercise and pain that signals potential harm is key to maintaining a safe, injury-free fitness journey.
Understanding the Difference: "Burning" vs. "Pain" After Exercise
After an intense workout, especially when you spend it pushing your limits, you might experience a "burning" soreness or sensation in your muscles. This is delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and it's often considered a sign that you've challenged your muscles effectively. DOMS has been attributed to potential causes like lactic acid build-up, muscle spasms, muscle or tissue damage, or inflammation. It is usually localised within the working muscle group and tends to subside naturally over time with some rest.
However, post-workout “pain” is a different beast altogether. Unlike the diffuse soreness or “warmth” of DOMS, pain is often sharp, localised to a specific area, and can persist or even worsen.
Recognising this distinction is key to preventing injury from working out. Pushing through DOMS might be acceptable within your tolerance, but ignoring sharp or escalating pain can have negative consequences.
Recognising the Kind of Pain That Signals a Problem
It's vital to be attuned to your body and recognise the types of pain that should not be ignored during or after exercise. These warning signs indicate a potential problem that requires caution:
- Sharp, sudden pain: This type of pain often indicates an acute injury such as a muscle tear or ligament sprain. More serious tears could also result in a “snapping” feeling in the muscle.
- Localised, intense pain: If the pain is concentrated in a specific spot and feels significantly more intense than general muscle pain after exercise, it could signal a muscle strain, tendon injury or joint sprain.
- Pain that worsens during exercise: If the discomfort intensifies as you continue your workout, it's a clear sign that you're potentially aggravating an existing issue.
- Pain accompanied by swelling, bruising, or limited range of motion: These are classic signs of an injury and should not be ignored.
- Joint pain that feels different from muscle soreness: A deep, aching, or grinding pain in a joint, especially if accompanied by clicking or popping, could indicate a joint-related problem that requires knee joint injections or other medical interventions.
Ignoring these kinds of pain and pushing through them can lead to more severe injuries and prolong your recovery time. It may also lead to chronic pain.
When to Seek Help for Workout-Related Pain
Knowing when to seek professional help is just as important as recognising the signs of problematic pain. Consider consulting a healthcare professional if you experience any of the following:
- Persistent pain that doesn't improve with rest: If your body ache after exercise lingers for more than a few days, doesn't show signs of improvement with rest and home care, and doesn’t follow typical DOMS patterns, seek medical advice.
- Pain that interferes with daily activities: If your workout-related discomfort makes it difficult to perform everyday tasks like walking, raising your arms, or squatting, it’s a clear indication that something is wrong.
- Suspected injury (sprain, strain): If you suspect you've sustained a specific injury from working out such as a twisted ankle or pulled muscle, prompt medical attention can lead to a quicker and more effective recovery. Delaying treatment could lengthen the overall recovery time or in severe cases, lead to disability.
- Uncertainty about the nature of the pain: If you're unsure whether your discomfort is normal muscle pain after exercise or something more serious, it's always best to err on the side of caution and get it checked out.
A healthcare professional, such as a doctor or physical therapist in Singapore, can accurately diagnose the cause of your pain and recommend appropriate treatment and guidance to prevent further damage and ensure proper recovery.
Contact The Pain Clinic now for more information on post-workout pain. The Pain Clinic offers pain management and pain relief options including back pain injections, disc decompression treatment, and sciatica treatment in Singapore.