Does post-exercise massage treatment reduce delayed onset muscle soreness? A systematic review

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.

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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 and promote mitochondria — 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