A trial to evaluate experimentally induced delayed onset muscle soreness and its modulation by vibration

Abstract

Clinical muscular pain such as stiff neck and lumbago is often treated with massage, stretch, and vibration; however, the effectiveness of these procedures and their action mechanisms remain unclear. It is considered to be important to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of these procedures using experimentally induced muscular pain. Exercise-induced pain has been used as a model of muscular pain. In the present experiment, this model was used to evaluate the effect of vibration, which is used in physical therapy. Muscle soreness was induced by exercise of the upper arm using a weight belt, and changes in the muscle were evaluated using limb circumference, joint angle, strength of muscle soreness, dimensions of muscle and blood flow before and after exercise and vibration. The present exercise protocol induced delayed onset muscle soreness 1 day after exercise. Vibration given immediately and 2 days after exercise widened the limited range of motion, decreased muscle soreness in full flexion and extension positions, increased blood flow in the deep tissues involving muscle and another connective tissues, increased the thickness of subcutaneous tissues, and tended to decrease the thickness of flexors. However, in contrast to clinical experience, these effects did not last long after vibration. The reason for this might be that the kind of pain was different.