Trigger point injections pertain to the injection of a fine needle into very precise areas of a muscle to ease tension and reduce pain. If your back pain isn't relieved by physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, or posture improvements, your back specialist may recommend a trigger point injection. Keep reading to find out what it does and what you can expect.
How It Works Muscular back pain is sometimes triggered by tight knots or bands in the muscle, which form when the muscle cannot properly relax. You can feel these knots under your skin. If you press on them, you'll feel pain radiating from the area into your neck or toward other areas. Trigger points can also irritate nearby nerves, causing discomfort. When the back specialist inserts the needle directly into the knot, the muscle will twitch. The insertion of the needle itself is usually sufficient to relax the knot of muscle and treat the pain. However, for added pain relief, the back specialist may inject a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid.
Common questions regarding Trigger Point Injection:. What are the side effects associated with a Trigger Point injection? Am I a good candidate for this procedure? Is a Trigger Point injection better than using oral steroids or painkillers? How many Trigger Point injections will I need to get?
When is a trigger point injection used? Trigger point injection is used when a patient has a painful trigger point, especially when pain emits from the trigger point to the bordering location. Trigger point injections may be used as a treatment for conditions such as fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome. However, the trigger points frequently recur with chronic pain syndromes.
What are complications and side effects of trigger point injections? A possible complication from the trigger point injection treatment is post-injection pain. This is relatively uncommon, but it can occur. This pain usually resolves by itself after a few days. It is more usual when no medication is injected into the trigger point (dry needling). Ice, heat, or over-the-counter medications including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium may be useful for post-injection pain. When a steroid medication is injected into the trigger point, shrinking of the body fat under the skin may occur, leaving a dent in the skin. This does not occur when just anesthetic is injected without having any steroid medication. Additional side effects are uncommon with trigger point injections but can occur anytime a needle pierces the skin, including infection and bleeding.
How It Works Muscular back pain is sometimes triggered by tight knots or bands in the muscle, which form when the muscle cannot properly relax. You can feel these knots under your skin. If you press on them, you'll feel pain radiating from the area into your neck or toward other areas. Trigger points can also irritate nearby nerves, causing discomfort. When the back specialist inserts the needle directly into the knot, the muscle will twitch. The insertion of the needle itself is usually sufficient to relax the knot of muscle and treat the pain. However, for added pain relief, the back specialist may inject a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid.
Common questions regarding Trigger Point Injection:. What are the side effects associated with a Trigger Point injection? Am I a good candidate for this procedure? Is a Trigger Point injection better than using oral steroids or painkillers? How many Trigger Point injections will I need to get?
When is a trigger point injection used? Trigger point injection is used when a patient has a painful trigger point, especially when pain emits from the trigger point to the bordering location. Trigger point injections may be used as a treatment for conditions such as fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome. However, the trigger points frequently recur with chronic pain syndromes.
What are complications and side effects of trigger point injections? A possible complication from the trigger point injection treatment is post-injection pain. This is relatively uncommon, but it can occur. This pain usually resolves by itself after a few days. It is more usual when no medication is injected into the trigger point (dry needling). Ice, heat, or over-the-counter medications including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium may be useful for post-injection pain. When a steroid medication is injected into the trigger point, shrinking of the body fat under the skin may occur, leaving a dent in the skin. This does not occur when just anesthetic is injected without having any steroid medication. Additional side effects are uncommon with trigger point injections but can occur anytime a needle pierces the skin, including infection and bleeding.
About the Author:
SpineOne specializes in treating spine-related injuries using minimally-invasive procedures, including back pain from a sports injury. Call us or visit our website to schedule an appointment. We accept most insurance and same-day appointments are available.
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