Trigger Point Injections
What are trigger point injections?
Trigger point injections are used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots that form when muscles do not relax. The knot can often be felt under the skin and may twitch involuntarily when touched. The trigger point can trap or irritate surrounding nerves and cause referred pain, or pain that is felt in another part of the body.
What are trigger point injections used to treat?
Trigger point injections are used to treat many muscle groups including those in the arms, legs, lower back, and neck. Trigger point injections are commonly used to treat patients with the following conditions:
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic tension headaches
- Myofascial Pain Syndrome that does not respond to other treatments
What happens during trigger point injections?
Trigger point injections are administered by one of our pain management doctors and typically take just a few minutes. Patients will remain awake during trigger point injections. A small needle is inserted into the trigger point and a local anesthetic or local anesthetic with steroid is injected. The injection of this medication inactivates the trigger point alleviating the pain.
What happens after the trigger point injections?
Immediately after a trigger point injection for pain, you will remain in our office for a brief recovery period. Numbness from the trigger point injection therapy may last a few hours after the procedure. The injection site may be sore for a few days, which can be treated by applying moist heat and ice. Stretching exercises and physical therapy are often performed following a trigger point injection for pain.
For additional information on trigger point injections for pain or to learn more about trigger point injection therapy, please click to Request an Appointment.
