OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of interventions on pain associated with DOMS. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, PEDro, Cochrane, and SciELO databases were searched, from the oldest records until May 2020. Search terms used included combinations of keywords related to "DOMS" and "intervention therapy". ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Healthy participants (no restrictions were applied, eg, age, sex, and exercise level). To be included, studies should be: (1) randomized clinical trial; (2) having induced muscle damage and subsequently measuring the level of pain; (3) to have applied therapeutic interventions (nonpharmacological or nutritional) and compare with a control group that received no intervention; and (4) the first application of the intervention had to occur immediately after muscle damage had been induced. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-one studies were included. The results revealed that the contrast techniques (p = 0.002, I2 = 60%), cryotherapy (p = 0.002, I2 = 100%), phototherapy (p = 0.0001, I2 = 95%), vibration (p = 0.004, I2 = 96%), ultrasound (p = 0.02, I2 = 97%), massage (p < 0.00001, I2 = 94%), active exercise (p = 0.0004, I2 = 93%) and compression (p = 0.002, I2 = 93%) have a better positive effect than the control in the management of DOMS. CONCLUSION: Low quality evidence suggests that contrast, cryotherapy, phototherapy, vibration, ultrasound, massage, and active exercise have beneficial effects in the management of DOMS-related pain.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher