Does post-exercise massage treatment reduce delayed onset muscle soreness? A systematic review
updated
Ernst E. Does post-exercise massage treatment reduce delayed onset muscle soreness? A systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 1998 Sep;32(3):212–4. PubMed #9773168.

Tags: treatment, self-treatment, massage, exercise, chronic pain, manual therapy, pain problems
PainSci summary of Ernst 1998?This page is one of thousands in the PainScience.com bibliography. It is not a general article: it is focused on a single scientific paper, and it may provide only just enough context for the summary to make sense. Links to other papers and more general information are provided at the bottom of the page, as often as possible. ★★★☆☆?3-star ratings are for typical studies with no more (or less) than the usual common problems. Ratings are a highly subjective opinion, and subject to revision at any time. If you think this paper has been incorrectly rated, please let me know.
From the article: “An effective treatment has been sought for many years … to date, none of these approaches has been fully convincing.”
related content
- “Massage therapy attenuates inflammatory signaling after exercise-induced muscle damage,” an article in Science Translational Medicine, 2012.
- PS Massage Does Not Reduce Inflammation — The making of a new massage myth from a high-tech study of muscle samples after intense exercise
- “Effectiveness of sports massage for recovery of skeletal muscle from strenuous exercise,” an article in Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, 2008.
- “Ice massage. Effects on exercise-induced muscle damage,” an article in J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 2003.
- “Treatment and prevention of delayed onset muscle soreness,” an article in Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 2003.
One article on PainScience.com cites Ernst 1998 as a source:
- PS Post-Exercise, Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness — The biology & treatment of “muscle fever,” the deep muscle soreness that surges 24-48 hours after an unfamiliar workout intensity