Have you ever been unfortunate enough to suffer from a painful spot in your muscles? If so, you know how excruciating they can be and how tough they are to eliminate.
Massage and anti-inflammatories only go so far, leaving you wondering what else can help. Trigger point injections may be a good option if you're not getting relief from other conservative measures.
At Delmarva Pain and Spine Center, Dr. Shachi Patel provides pain management techniques for various pain issues, including trigger points. Dr. Patel is a pain management specialist offering multiple treatments, including trigger point injections, joint injections, and epidural steroid injections for long-term pain relief.
Have you ever had a spot in your muscle that was painful and tight, no matter how much you tried to relieve it? If so, you may have had a trigger point in the muscle or fascia.
Trigger points are tight, sensitive areas in the muscles or fascia that cause discomfort. They often feel like a lump or tight area on or around a muscle.
Anyone can develop a trigger point, especially after a soft tissue injury or overuse of certain muscle groups. However, many people develop them in their back and neck from stress and tension.
Trigger points pop up out of nowhere and are very difficult to ease on your own. Massage and physical therapy can sometimes be effective, but in other cases, professional treatment is necessary.
The pain from a trigger point may be localized to the area or refer to other areas of the body. It's often painful when touched and can lead to stiffness and a limited range of motion.
A trigger point injection is one of the treatments for stubborn trigger points. We often recommend an injection when conservative treatments like physical therapy and massage haven't provided sufficient relief.
Before a trigger point injection, Dr. Patel evaluates the area to determine what's needed. She may choose to dry needle the trigger point without any medication, or add in local anesthetic or a corticosteroid to alleviate pain and tension.
Before the injection, she cleans off the skin. If she dry needles the area, she sticks the needle into the muscle to separate the fibers for relief.
Most trigger point injections include numbing medication to ease discomfort immediately. She may also add a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation for optimal relief from trigger points.
You should experience immediate relief, with the best results typically occurring a few days after the injection. The steroid begins to work immediately, reducing inflammation around the muscle fibers.
A trigger point injection may be a good idea if you have a stubborn area that doesn't get better with conservative measures. We often like you to try heat, massage, oral anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy before an injection.
If these measures are ineffective, Dr. Patel assesses the need for an injection. You may be a good candidate if you have a tight neck or back and suffer from chronic headaches caused by muscle tension.
We often recommend trigger point injections with physical therapy and stretching exercises for the best results.
To learn more about trigger point injections, call our Newark, Delaware, office to schedule an appointment or request a consultation with Dr. Patel on our website.
