Trigger Point Injections
What are trigger point injections for pain?
Trigger point injections for pain 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 for pain used to treat?
Trigger point injections for pain are used to treat many muscle groups including those in the arms, legs, lower back, and neck. In addition, trigger point injections for pain are used to treat the following conditions:
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic tension headaches
- Myofascial Pain Disorder that does not respond to other treatments
What happens during trigger point injection therapy?
Trigger point injection therapy is administered by one of our pain management doctors and takes approximately 5 minutes. Patients will remain awake during trigger point injection therapy. 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 injection therapy?
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.
