Can you tell if it's muscles soreness or strain? (lifting, personal trainer, machines)

[FromEverywhere]

I've been moving my stuff this weekend and today I woke up with every muscle in my body sore. The only part that I'm not sure is sore or strained is my upper right shoulder/neck area. I don't usually get sore in my back so I'm not sure if the feeling is a strain that happened while carrying something heavy or if it's sore and will go away in a few days. How can I tell?

[piggyy]

A strain will tense up every few minutes...which is VERY painful.

[FromEverywhere]

Originally Posted by piggyy

A strain will tense up every few minutes...which is VERY painful.

It kind of feels like a stiff neck would, like I slept in a funny position or something.

[nhdriver]

Do you generally lift things or repeat similar movements? If not probably just sore from using muscles that you normally don't.

I'd get plenty of fluids in, take some ibuprofein for few days and recover with plenty of rest.

[FromEverywhere]

Originally Posted by nhdriver

Do you generally lift things or repeat similar movements? If not probably just sore from using muscles that you normally don't.

I'd get plenty of fluids in, take some ibuprofein for few days and recover with plenty of rest.

Thanks, I'll do that and hopefully it feels better. I weight train about twice a week, but this passed weekend I was moving all my stuff so it was hours of carrying boxes and bags and lifting them in and out of my car and up and down the stairs (My calfs are so sore)!

I'm going to attribute it to soreness and if it doesn't get better in a few days then maybe I'll have it checked out.

[Sciameriken]

Im speculating but wouldnt a strain be an injury you would feel the day of the activity? Since this didn't hit you till the next day i bet its just soreness

[FromEverywhere]

Originally Posted by Sciameriken

Im speculating but wouldnt a strain be an injury you would feel the day of the activity? Since this didn't hit you till the next day i bet its just soreness

You're probably right. However a few years ago, I was using the Lat machine and I guess pulled a muscle because I was using the machine wrong (since then I hired a personal trainer for a short time to teach me how to use the machines correctly) I attributed it to soreness but a month had gone by and it just got worse, I had to back out of a half-marathon because my back hurt so much. I went to the doctor and he said that it wasn't just soreness and prescribed pain killers and anti-inflammatory and it felt better in a few days. So I was asking because I didn't want to be in pain for a long time thinking it's something then it turns out to be something else.

[locolobo13]

Originally Posted by Sciameriken

Im speculating but wouldnt a strain be an injury you would feel the day of the activity? Since this didn't hit you till the next day i bet its just soreness

Not necessarily. A few yrs ago I strained an abdominal muscle carrying some heavy stuff. I could tell the abs were tighter than usual but they didn't hurt. The next morning there was a slight pain in the abs that I attributed to soreness. But instead of easing over the next few days the pain grew worse instead of getting better.

Finally I went and saw a Dr and he said it was a slight muscle strain. He prescribed a muscle relaxer and I took it easy exercise wise for a day or two.