Trigger Point Injections
A trigger point injection (TPI) can help relieve myofascial pain, which is usually caused by a "knot" in your muscle (trigger point). TPIs are common and generally safe.
What are trigger point injections?
A trigger point injection can help soothe myofascial pain, especially in your neck, shoulder, arms, legs and lower back.
Trigger points are painful “knots” in your muscles that can be very sensitive to touch/pressure. They may form after acute trauma or by repetitive micro-trauma, leading to stress on muscle fibers. It causes the muscle fibers to be stuck in a contracted state. Sometimes you can feel these knots when you rub your muscle.
Trigger point injections commonly involve injections of local anesthetic with or without corticosteroid, botulinum toxin, or without any injection substance (dry needling).
Trigger points are painful “knots” in your muscles that can be very sensitive to touch/pressure. They may form after acute trauma or by repetitive micro-trauma, leading to stress on muscle fibers. It causes the muscle fibers to be stuck in a contracted state. Sometimes you can feel these knots when you rub your muscle.
Trigger point injections commonly involve injections of local anesthetic with or without corticosteroid, botulinum toxin, or without any injection substance (dry needling).
What are trigger point injections used for?
Healthcare providers use trigger point injections to help treat myofascial pain. “Myo” means muscle and “fascial” means fascia. Your fascia is the thin, white connective tissue that’s wrapped around every muscle.
The pain and tenderness in myofascial pain are typically due to one or more trigger points. To the touch, trigger points feel like small bumps, nodules or knots in your muscle.
Trigger points can develop in any muscle, but the most common muscle groups that are treated with trigger point injections include:
The pain and tenderness in myofascial pain are typically due to one or more trigger points. To the touch, trigger points feel like small bumps, nodules or knots in your muscle.
Trigger points can develop in any muscle, but the most common muscle groups that are treated with trigger point injections include:
- Masseter (a muscle in your jaw).
- Levator scapulae (a muscle on the sides of your neck).
- Gluteus medius (a muscle in your hip).
- Quadratus lumborum (a deep muscle in your low back).
- Trapezius (the muscle extending over the back of your neck and shoulders).
- Sternocleidomastoid (a muscle in the front of your neck).
- Temporalis (a muscle on the sides of your head).