Name: Muscularia GmbH
Address: Leonhardsstrasse 38, Basel, 4051, Schweiz
Telephone: +41 61 322 01 01

What Is Muscle Soreness and How Does It Develop?

Muscle soreness, commonly referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), typically occurs after unaccustomed, intense, or eccentric muscle activity. During this process, microscopic damage occurs within muscle fibers and surrounding connective tissue. These micro-injuries trigger an inflammatory response, leading to pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion, usually peaking 12 to 48 hours after exercise.

Muscle soreness is a normal physiological adaptation and not caused by lactic acid accumulation or a sign of injury.

What Can Manual Therapy Achieve in Muscle Soreness?

Manual therapy cannot instantly repair damaged muscle fibers or eliminate soreness overnight. However, it may provide supportive benefits during the recovery phase.

Potential effects include:

Reduction of muscle tension and protective guarding
Improved local circulation
Enhanced relaxation and body awareness
Temporary relief from stiffness and discomfort

Many individuals report a subjective sense of relief and improved mobility after treatment, even though soreness itself may still be present.

Manual Therapy in the Context of Sports Load

With regular training—regardless of performance level—athletes may experience overload reactions, muscular imbalances, or movement restrictions. In this context, manual therapy can be used strategically to:

reduce excessive muscle tension
improve soft tissue and joint mobility
address compensatory movement patterns
support efficient and coordinated movement

Here, manual therapy is particularly valuable as a preventive and preparatory tool, rather than solely as a post-exercise intervention.

Recovery – What Truly Supports It?

Recovery is an active, multifactorial process. Manual therapy can be one supportive component, but it does not replace the body’s natural recovery mechanisms.

Key factors for effective recovery include:

Adequate rest and recovery time
Appropriate training load management
Low-intensity movement (active recovery)
Sufficient sleep, nutrition, and hydration

Within this framework, manual therapy may help regulate muscle tone, improve comfort, and enhance overall recovery perception when integrated thoughtfully.

Treatment Process, Safety and Benefits

At the beginning of the session, current training load and overall physical condition are discussed. The treatment approach is then adjusted to the individual recovery status and applied in a controlled and carefully dosed manner.

In cases of muscle soreness, overly intense or painful techniques are avoided. The goal is not maximal stimulation, but rather a supportive and regulating effect. Treatment is generally well tolerated and can be effectively combined with active recovery measures.

Limitations of Manual Therapy

Maintaining realistic expectations is essential:

Muscle soreness does not disappear immediately
Structural adaptation requires time
Excessively aggressive treatment may even delay recovery

Manual therapy is not a substitute for recovery, but a complementary measure that should be applied thoughtfully.

Manual therapy can provide supportive benefits during muscle soreness, periods of increased sports load, and recovery—particularly by promoting relaxation, improving mobility, and enhancing body awareness. However, its effects are modulatory rather than curative on their own.

When combined with active recovery, appropriate training management, and sufficient rest, manual therapy can make a valuable contribution to long-term resilience and physical performance.

Medizinische Massage Basel
Leonhardsstrasse 38, 4051 Basel

Zahlungsmittel
Bar, Debit- und Kreditkarten, Twint

Gutscheine
Wir haben Gutscheine für 30, 45 oder 60 Minuten.