A new study confirms what chiropractors who care for athletes have long suspected: painkillers don't relieve post-workout muscle soreness.

Dr. Christiana often cares for patients with sports injuries. And, as a prevention specialist, Dr. Christiana advises these patients to avoid unnecessary medication and opt instead for all-natural therapies. That's why Dr. Christiana encourages patients to familiarize themselves with the new study outlined below.

Who conducted the study?

The report, Managing DelayedOnset Muscle Soreness: Lack of Selected Oral Systemic Analgesics, was conducted by researchers at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland and Coventry University in the United Kingdom.

Who was enrolled in the study?

The experiment recruited 30 men and 30 women, aged 19 to 35 years. All of the volunteers were free of disease or injury. None of the subjects had suffered a recent trauma or had a recent history of painkiller or steroid use.

How did researchers evaluate the painkiller's effectiveness?

The study participants lifted a dumbbell repeatedly to exhaust the biceps muscle in one arm.

The volunteers were then allocated to one of five treatment groups: (1) "control" (no treatment), (2) placebo, (3) aspirin, (4) codeine and (5) acetaminophen (the active ingredient in drugs such as Tylenol@). Drugs were given in doses commonly prescribed for muscle pain. Treatment lasted 11 days. Throughout the study period, several standard orthopedic tests were used to evaluate patients for delayed onset muscle soreness (DaMS). Subjects also refrained from consuming alcohol, caffeine and other drugs during the experiment.

What were the results of the experiment?

Findings revealed that none of the drugs were effective at preventing or alleviating muscle ache, compared with no treatment.

"There is no beneficial effect from the medications, at least at the doses stated, in the management of delayed-onset muscle soreness," wrote the study's authors. "Furthermore, none of the medications showed any significant beneficial effect on any of the other symptoms of DOMS."

How can I obtain a copy of the report?

The report appears in the July issue of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Most chiropractic and medical school libraries carry this journal. You may also access the study's abstract at the journal's Web site at www.archives-pmr.org. A copy of the July 2000 edition (in which the article appears) may be ordered at this site, or by calling 1215-238-7800. When ordering, you will need the article's full citation: Arch Phys Med Rehabil2000 Jul; 81 (7):966-72.