Research backs higher drug doses for muscle pain

Exercise builds muscles by first injuring them. The natural rebuilding process that follows makes muscles bigger and stronger. But the time between the injury and the healing can hurt. Researchers call this process delayed muscle soreness, or DOM, referring to the tenderness and stiffness that usually begins the day after a workout and can last as long as a week.

Trainers and physical therapists have their favorite remedies, including anti-inflammatory drugs, massage, stretching, acupuncture and herbal treatments, such as arnica, a popular natural remedy. What works best? According to a new study, the most powerful anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, diclofenac and naproxen, and icing provide relief in some people but require high doses. But none of the remedies alone, nor various combinations of them, consistently relieved the inflammation and swelling underlying the pain, according to an extensive review of treatment studies.

This review was published recently in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

-- Dianne Partie Lange