About
A trigger point is a ‘knot’ in your muscle that doesn’t relax and can be very sensitive or painful when pressure is applied, and you may also feel referred pain in another part of the body. These trigger points can cause muscle spasms and a feeling of tightness. Trigger points are often found in your back, neck, and shoulders but can also occur in muscle tissue elsewhere in the body and are as a result of injuries, strains or even your body’s mechanics.
As it is considered a minimally invasive treatment, trigger point injections are an excellent way to treat painful muscle conditions as they offer a quicker recovery time, a lower risk of infections and can be administered in an outpatient setting.
Conditions that Can Be Treated with Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections are used for a number of different painful conditions, including:
Myofascial pain syndrome
This is a chronic musculoskeletal pain condition that leads to the development of painful trigger points within the body’s muscle and fascia. The result of this is local and referred pain, a restricted range of movement and can also lead to autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
Fibromylagia
This chronic condition involves widespread pain, fatigue, and is often linked to sleep disorders. Trigger point injections relieve pain and improve the patient’s range of motion.
Pelvic pain syndrome
This syndrome is indicated by chronic pelvic pain, painful bladder syndrome, lower urinary tract symptoms, and more. Trigger point therapy is linked to significantly improving these symptoms.
Tension headaches and migraines
Referred pain from trigger points in the shoulder neck and head muscles produce head pain; thus trigger point injections can significantly decrease the pain levels.
Whiplash
Trigger points are often the primary cause of pain in whiplash patients. Studies have shown that this pain can be significantly reduced with trigger point injections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a trigger point injection?
Trigger points are painful ‘knots’ that form in the muscle tissue when they can’t relax. Trigger point injections are used to soothe muscle pain and relieve muscle spasms particularly in the back, neck, and shoulders, as well as in your legs and arms.
How are they administered?
Your therapist will locate the area that is causing the pain an inject a small needle into the area. In a single visit, you may have several trigger points injected, each one only takes a couple of minutes.
Are there any risks?
Trigger point injections are a low-risk, minimally invasive technique for targeting muscle pain. There are typically no risks, but there may be soreness or numbness at the site of the injection.
What happens afterward?
The muscle can be used as normal, although strenuous activity should be avoided for a few days after your appointment.
Your Treatment
A health care professional will identify the trigger points based on your muscle’s twitch response as well as your pain level. The practitioner will then use a small needle to inject medication into the trigger point to lower inflammation as well as dispersing the trigger point.
If you struggle with muscle pain and spasms, we have an effective way to help reduce discomfort and improve your quality of life. Please get in touch to find out if trigger point injections are a good fit for you.