The effect of pre-exercise massage on delayed onset muscle soreness

Item

Title
The effect of pre-exercise massage on delayed onset muscle soreness
Author(s)
Fein-Brown, Josh
Abstract
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is a common, painful phenomenon that presents after any unaccustomed, intense or eccentric exercise. DOMS is associated with loss of range of motion (ROM) and loss of force production. Post exercise massage has been found to alleviate the symptoms of DOMS, but not functional recovery of the muscle. The aim of this study was to assess whether pre-exercise massage would alleviate the symptoms of DOMS. An arm-to-arm comparison model was used. Thirteen healthy male subjects were recruited. The intervention consisted of a ten-minute massage, using Swedish massage techniques, applied to the elbow flexors of the dominant arm while the non-dominant arm served as the control. Both arms performed 60 maximal eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors as the exercise protocol. Pressure point threshold (PPT) Visual Analogue Scale for pain (VAS), ROM and limb girth were measured at baseline, post massage, post exercise and 24, 48 and 72 hours post intervention. A significant increase in PPT was found at 24 hours post exercise for the intervention arm (P=0.007), a significant decrease in VAS was demonstrated at 48 hours (P=0.037) and 72 hours (P=0.008) for the intervention arm. Decrease in ROM was not significant for the intervention arm. There was no significant difference in limb girth between intervention and control.
In conclusionPre-exercise massage results in a significant reduction in DOMS as measured by PPT at 24 hours and VAS at 48 hours and 72 hours post massage when compared with control. Pre-exercise massage has no effect on girth but does result in greater maintenance of ROM.
presented at
British College of Osteopathic Medicine
Date Accepted
2015
Date Submitted
13.11.2018 14:20:35
Type
osteo_thesis
Language
English
Number of pages
19
Submitted by:
4457
Pub-Identifier
16308
Inst-Identifier
1076
Recommended
1
Item sets
Thesis

Fein-Brown, Josh, “The effect of pre-exercise massage on delayed onset muscle soreness”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/2040