Am I sore or injured—how to tell the difference

Find out whether your aches are just routine soreness or something more serious.

Jan, 2026

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At some point, soreness sneaks up on most people. You’ll rise from bed and those first steps will feel creaky, tight, and achy. Sometimes though, it can be tough to tell whether soreness is a result of a more-intense-than-normal workout or a symptom of a muscle strain, sprain, or injury.

How can you distinguish between the exercise achiness and pain that may require a doctor’s visit? According to Barrett S. Brown, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Texas Orthopedic Hospital in Houston, it depends on your baseline level of activity and the symptoms you are feeling.

Written byKristan Dietz.

Sources: American Council on Exercise. Don’t Be a Sore Loser - Dealing with Muscle Soreness. January 28 + 10

American Council on Exercise. Don’t Be a Sore Loser - Dealing with Muscle Soreness. January 28, 2009.
Lewis PB, Ruby D, Bush-Joseph CA. Muscle soreness and delayed-onset muscle soreness. Clin Sports Med. 2012 Apr;31(2):255-62.
American College of Sports Medicine. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. 2011.
MedlinePlus. Muscle aches. Reviewed May 3, 2021.
MedlinePlus. Strains. Reviewed May 3, 2021.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Sprains, Strains and Other Soft-Tissue Injuries. Reviewed June 2020.
MedlinePlus. Sprains. Reviewed May 3, 2021.
Qaseem A, McLean RM, O’Gurek D, et al. Nonpharmacologic and Pharmacologic Management of Acute Pain From Non–Low Back, Musculoskeletal Injuries in Adults: A Clinical Guideline From the American College of Physicians and American Academy of Family Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Nov 3;173(9):739-748.
Harvard Health Publishing. Use topical painkillers for strains and sprains. November 1, 2020.
National Council of Youth Sports. STOP Sports Injuries. Accessed July 5, 2023.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Safe Exercise. Last reviewed February 2023.

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