Trigger Point Injection
Trigger points are areas in the muscle that are very irritable, tight, and when pressed, may produce a “twitch” within the affected muscle. Trigger points in the head, neck and shoulders are commonly present in patients with migraine, tension-type headache, post-traumatic headache, cervicogenic headache and other headache disorders.
A trigger point injection is a procedure where small amount of local anesthetics is injected into your painful "knots" in your muscles to relieve pain. This pain relief should be experienced not only in the affected muscle, but in the area of referred pain as well.
ABOUT TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS
Who Should Receive Trigger Point Injections?
Patients who have specific trigger points that can be elicited with palpation may experience the most relief from injections. They may be very helpful for patients with chronic headache or migraine with exacerbation.
How Trigger Point Injection Works?
The anesthetic medication will be injected into the muscle and will block pain receptors within the nerves surrounding the muscle, and, in turn, reduce the pain signals sent to the brain. If steroid medication is used, it reduces the inflammation and swelling of tissue around the nerves, which may help reduce pain. The needle without medication may even provide independent benefits mechanically. The needle separates, relaxes and lengthens the muscle fiber to provide further pain relief. This approach is called “dry needling” and may be used in patients with allergies to anesthetic medication.
What Should I Expect During The Treatment?
During the procedure, your provider inserts a small needle into the specific area of pain (trigger point) in a muscle. The injection usually contains only a local anesthetic, but occasionally may contain a steroid medication. The patient is positioned sitting down. Your provider will first palpate and identify the painful areas within a muscle to identify trigger points, then will inject in those areas. Depending on how many trigger points are identified, more than one injection may be required. Trigger point injections can be performed along with peripheral nerve blocks in the same treatment session.
FAQs
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The amount of local anesthetics to be injected at a time will be determine by your provider, depending on the areas of pain. The treatment can be repeated as needed as your pain returns.
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It is an injection of local anesthetics; therefore, some discomfort comes with it. However, the area of injection will be numbed soon after the injection is given. This procedure is very well-tolerated in general.
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There is no downtime with this treatment. Patients drive home or return to their usual activities after this procedure.
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Immediately after the injection, you may feel that your pain has remitted or lessened significantly, in both the affected muscle as well as the area of the referred pain in the head or neck. Some patients may not benefit at all, while others may have significant pain remission lasting for weeks.
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Some patients may not benefit at all, while others may have significant pain remission lasting for weeks.
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The most common side effects are temporary pain and numbness at the injection site. Patients may also experience light-headedness after injections. If steroid injections are used, repeated dosing may cause a loss of hair, fatty tissue accumulation, discoloration of skin, or loss of muscle thickness at the injection site.
Disclaimer: This information provided is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice from a qualified healthcare professional and should not be relied upon as personal health advice. The information contained in this content is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. You are advised to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any medical concerns. Use of this information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for any adverse effects, or consequences resulting from the use of any suggestions or information provided.