Sore vs Pain – What Is The Difference
Scott Lamb Exercises have social, physical, and mental benefits when done effectively. It helps to maintain your strong muscles and bones and also improves the quality of sleep you have. You may also have heard that those who consistently work out are free from chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and depression. Exercise does not come without its challenges and can take some effects on your body such as pulling muscles by working out. It may cause discomfort, fatigue, and muscle soreness.
What is Sore and What is Chronic Pain?
Soreness
When you decide to abruptly work out after a long time of no physical activity, your muscles get stressed. This is muscle soreness. Your muscles become sore due to the tearing up of stress exerted on the muscle fibers. Normal muscle soreness will be extreme after 24-72 hours of exercise but disappear after a few days. The muscle soreness intensity usually depends on how long you have exercised, your frequency of doing the activity, and how much you are overworking muscles.
Pain
Chronic pain results when you injure a tendon or joint in your body. The pain usually stays longer than soreness and is more intense. You may be feeling pain when you try making a movement, or when moving forward and lastly it can be a constant continuous pain even if you are not making any movements. Pain stiffens up your muscles and may have to be treated to go away.
Major Difference Between Soreness and Pain
While your muscle soreness will go away within a short time, pain can be permanent. Pain may always appear and disappear at times and can even alter the way you move. If you start limping you have an injury that needs to be dealt with.
When should you see a muscle activation specialist about soreness or pain?
Soreness and pain last depending on the degree of injury or stress felt. More intense soreness or pain will last longer. If your pain lasts for more than a total of 7-10 days, ensure you see a specialist for evaluation. You may need to treat the pain also depending on how you feel. A muscle activation specialist will help you heal by giving you a list of physical activities to engage in. The specialist can also diagnose and recommend a significant treatment. You can also choose to visit a physical therapist for a checkup and to understand your body concerning sports and exercise.
Symptoms That Cause Alarm
After an injury, you can either go for immediate medical care or try treating it with a home remedy and rest. The symptoms observed and intensity of the pain dictate how fast you see a specialist. Muscle pain can be accompanied by soreness or discomfort and other symptoms such as:
- Joint pain
- Muscle spasms
- Muscle cramps
- Fever
- Swelling or redness
- Stiffness of affected area
- Back pains
- Difficulty breathing