Trigger point injections are used to treat painful knots of muscle called trigger points. These trigger points form when the muscles don't relax. They often occur in the shoulders and upper back and can irritate the nerves around them. Conditions treated by trigger point injections include myofascial pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, neck pain, low back pain, and tension headaches.
Trigger Point Injections
- How are trigger point injections done?
- What happens after the procedure?
- What are the risks?
- Is a trigger point injection right for you?
How are trigger point injections done?
Your health care professional will clean the injection site and may apply a numbing agent to the skin. Then they will insert a small needle into the trigger point area. The needle will usually contain an anesthetic (pain reliever) and sometimes will also include a corticosteroid (to reduce inflammation). If you're allergic to the drugs involved, the health care provider may use a dry needle, with no medication, to help release the trigger point. You can have injections in more than one site during an office visit.
What happens after the procedure?
You may have minor soreness at the injection site. There is also a risk, if steroid medication is used, that fat under the skin will shrink, leaving a dimple in the skin. More serious complications, such as infection or bleeding, are possible but rare.
What are the risks?
You may have minor soreness at the injection site. There is also a risk, if steroid medication is used, that fat under the skin will shrink, leaving a dimple in the skin. More serious complications, such as infection or bleeding, are possible but rare.
Is a trigger point injection right for you?
You may want to try trigger point injections if you have muscle pain, especially in your lower back, neck, arms and legs, that isn't getting better with physical therapy and pain medication.
