Trigger point injection therapy is a viable option for treating pain and reducing functionality associated with muscle sensitivity. It is administered to relieve muscle pain and functional bottlenecks caused by trigger points. People may feel a little pain at the injection site, but this usually only lasts 1 to 2 days. On average, pain relief with a Trigger Point injection lasts about 30 days.
The severity of the injury or condition and how often you get the injection can also affect how long you don't feel pain. After lying down on a procedure table, the doctor will locate and clean the trigger point and then pinch it to prevent it from slipping. Then, they'll insert the needle into the skin and inject the medication at the trigger point. You may experience some spasms and discomfort when the needle is inserted at the trigger point.
People with extremely tight muscles may even feel a crunch or a slight burning sensation. After the injection, the doctor will stretch and massage the muscle and surrounding area. Anesthetic drug injections into trigger points usually work within a few hours. Steroid injections may work two weeks after the injection, or they may not work at all. Some people get relief from dry needling, while others don't.
Immediately after the injection, it is normal to feel some pain relief, however, this is due to the local anesthesia that was injected. The steroid, when used, takes two or three days to take effect. When you do, some patients will experience significant pain relief lasting several weeks. Other people may not benefit from injections at all. For example, pressing a trigger point at the base of the neck could cause eye pain or cause pain in the shoulders or hands.
Other trigger points are the result of a chronic condition and may require an ongoing treatment plan with weekly injections. Trigger points are very tender, tight knots or bands of muscle or connective tissue that cause pain. Taking steps such as reducing stress levels, improving posture, and participating in an exercise program can often ease pain in trigger points. After cleansing the skin, introduce the local anesthetic (and perhaps a pain reliever) into the trigger point area (or several areas if more than one trigger point is being treated) with a small needle. If pressure is applied to a trigger point, this can “cause extreme pain at the point of contact and often in other parts of the body as well”. Being under emotional or mental stress can further aggravate trigger points if it causes certain muscles to tense up.
People who suffer from trigger point pain may experience muscle spasms, weakness, and pain in other parts of the body, such as eye pain and headaches or migraines. Trigger point injection therapy is used to relieve painful trigger points (painful areas of overactive muscle that get too tight and feel like “knots” or hard bumps when pressed). Trigger point injections are a viable option for treating pain referred to and reduced functionality associated with muscle sensitivity. Side effects depend on the type of medication contained in the injection, and most of them only occur at the site of the injection. Trigger point injection is administered to relieve muscle pain and functional bottlenecks associated with trigger points.