If you’re in pain, your doctor may recommend trigger point injections. But, very few people actually understand what this is. We tend to hear the word injection, think “needle,” and then panic. Can a needle really help pain? In the next few paragraphs, we’re going to break down everything you need to know about a trigger point injection and how it can help.

What Is A Trigger Point Injection?

Trigger point injections are used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscles that form when muscles do not relax. A health care professional will insert a small needle filled with local anesthetic, saline, or corticosteroid into the trigger point. Injections are done in a doctor’s office and usually only take a few minutes.

Who Can Benefit From A Trigger Point Injection?

Trigger point injections can be used to treat anyone who has painful “knots” of muscle. Symptoms of a trigger points or muscle knots are:

  • Tension headaches
  • Neck or shoulder pain
  • Arm or leg pain
  • Low back pain
  • Fibromyalgia

These trigger points will often form around an injury or on tired, overused muscles. It happens when the muscle cannot relax, and therefore can be very painful. These knots can often be felt as nodules or bands under the skin and will produce a dull, achy pain, although when pressed upon or stimulated, the pain becomes much stronger and focused. Myofascial pain syndrome is the condition in which many of these muscle knots develop, causing pain and limited range of motion. Trigger point injections are used to treat myofascial pain syndrome, as well as fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, and localized pain caused by trigger points.

How Does A Trigger Point Injection Work?

Since the injection contains anesthetic or other another types of relaxant, the injection will cause the muscle to relax. This restores blood flow to the area and relieves pain. This relief can last for weeks, during which time your medical provider will assist you in finding other treatments to assist with long-term healing. In some cases, repeated injections may be necessary before long-term relief is possible.

 

If you would like more information, or would like to schedule an appointment, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment at one of our six locations.