Trigger point injections are a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain conditions, such as myofascial pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and tension headaches. The Trigger Point injection is administered to relieve muscle pain and functional bottlenecks associated with trigger points. It helps to relax and decompress stiff muscles, relieving muscle spasms, tension and pain. The most common side effect is mild discomfort around the injection site, which can be easily treated with Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen).
Applying heat and ice to the affected area may also be beneficial. This pain should go away on its own one week after the injection at the trigger point. Some providers prefer to mark each trigger point with a skin marker or with the tip of a pen retracted as a guide before starting the procedure. Trigger points are usually painful to the touch, so you may feel some pain when your healthcare provider manually locates the trigger point before the injection. If the method is dry needling, treatment of that point is completed once the trigger point is relaxed.
Trigger points can form after acute trauma or from repeated microtrauma, causing tension in muscle fibers. This strategy may be especially beneficial when an injection at the trigger point is initially used to reduce pain in people who are unable to perform physical therapy or stretching due to severe pain. The benefits of triggering point injections last between a few days and months, depending on the patient's condition and the medication injected. Trigger point injections use a variety of medications to relieve muscle pain, depending on the intensity of the pain, symptoms, and the best possible response to treatment. Trigger point injections are generally safe and can relieve pain for people who have been experiencing pain associated with trigger points and who haven't found relief with more conservative treatments, such as over-the-counter pain relievers or physical therapy.
Ultimately, these knots cause a pain cycle that continues until the tension is broken, which is the object of trigger point therapy. Trigger points can also cause stiffness and decreased range of motion and can sometimes be associated with chronic disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Injections at trigger points with anesthetics cause the pain area to remain latent and reduce the sensation of pain. Once stabilized, with the dominant hand, the doctor will insert the needle connected to the 5 or 10 ml syringe at a 30-degree angle at the activation point and will continue to rhythmically tap the area by inserting and retracting the needle repeatedly without completely removing it from the muscle. Trigger point injections have also been very successful in providing relief to those who suffer from frequent headaches or fibromyalgia. Myofascial trigger points are focal knots located in a tight band of skeletal muscle first described by Dr.