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Trigger points can cause tremendous pain, and they are all too common — 85% of people deal with these areas of tightness and discomfort. Board-certified pain management specialist John East, DO, and the skilled team at Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine in Addison, Texas, offer trigger point injections to give your body the chance it needs to heal. For information, call the office or book an appointment online today.
What are trigger points, and how can injections help get rid of the pain?
Trigger points are areas of tension in your muscles, also called knots, that can be stiff and sore to the touch. They are caused by stress on your muscle fibers, which can cause them to lock in a contracted state.
Trigger point injections include a local anesthetic either on its own or with another beneficial treatment, such as a corticosteroid. That can ease the tension in the muscle, allowing it to relax and relieving your pain. Giving your muscles the chance to finally let go may be just what they need to begin healing.
What areas might need trigger point injections?
The most common muscle groups to benefit from trigger point injections include:
- Jaw muscles
- The sides or front of the neck
- Hips
- Low back
- The back of the neck and shoulders
- The muscles on either side of the head
Trigger point injections may succeed where other treatments, such as massage therapy or over-the-counter pain medications, have been insufficient for your pain.
What should I expect from a trigger point injection?
Beforehand, your provider at Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine speaks with you about your symptoms, overall health, and any medications you are currently taking. They perform an exam to decide whether trigger point injections are a good choice to relieve your pain.
Then, they have you sit or lie down on an exam table.
Your provider will cleanse the area, identify exactly where your trigger point is, and touch the area to stabilize the tissue. You may feel your muscle spasm or twitch as they insert and withdraw the needle from the area, and this may be uncomfortable.
That temporary discomfort is a good sign that your provider is working in exactly the area where you need relief, and the whole treatment should take about 30 minutes.
You can expect to start experiencing significant pain reduction within 24-72 hours after your trigger point injections, and these results typically last for a month. The team can schedule follow-up appointments if necessary.
If you have stubborn muscle knots and tension that are interfering with your quality of life, let the team at Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine help with trigger point injections. Call the office or book an appointment online today.