Question
i have just begun working out (weight training) i am not going heavy at all because i cannot just want to tone. i began last wednesday 7/19/06 yesterday 7/24/06 i did some flat bench press,incline press and light tricep pull-downs 20lbs for 15 reps only 2 X's.last night i had a hard time getting comfortable due to tightness in my left tricep. my right one is very minimally sore but the left arm i cannot even reach to touch my mouth or right shoulder. i cannot bend my left arm past a 90 degree angle.
my right tricep is soft to the touch but my left is tight and i have slight pain from touching the tri and closer down towards the elbow.
i have not gone to any doctor because i figure it is basic tenderness and aches because i have not worked these muscles (last time i weight trained was 8-10 yrs ago). but not being able to bend my arm is making me worried. is it possible to tear the tricep and still have full function and most movement.should i wait this out to see how the pain is in 2-3 days?
any help or info would be greatly appreciated.
thank you
anthony michalski

Answer
Hello Anthony,

    You may be experiencing delayed muscle onset soreness, this happens when you workout extremely hard or the first time  in a long time.  Basically when you workout you break muscle tissue down and rebuild it, so starting out you will feel the most muscle soreness...this may last up to 5 days.  If the pain lasts more than a week you may have a slight tear in the muscle tissue.  Then you may want to see a doctor of chiropractic who specializes in sport/soft tissue injuries.  

Have a great day,
DR. Brendon O'Brien D.C.