TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS

Trigger point injection (TPI) may be an option for treating pain in some patients. TPI is a procedure used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form when muscles do not relax. Many times, such knots can be felt under the skin. Trigger points may irritate the nerves around them and cause referred pain, or pain that is felt in another part of the body.

What is the Trigger Point Injection Treatment Like?

In the TPI procedure, a health care professional inserts a small needle into the patient’s trigger point. The injection contains a local anesthetic or saline. With the injection, the trigger point is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. Often, a brief course of treatment will result in sustained relief. Injections are given in a doctor’s office and usually take just a few minutes. Several sites may be injected in one visit. If a patient has an allergy to a certain drug, a dry-needle technique (involving no medications) can be used.
What Kind of Results Can I Expect from Trigger Point Injections?

After your trigger point injection treatment, you will notice immediate pain relief due to the local anesthetic that is injected. This will wear off in a few hours, and pain may return briefly. The steroid medication will take effect within a few days, soothing inflammation so that you can enjoy long-lasting pain relief. Muscle knots are rarely a recurring issue, so most patients only need a single treatment to eliminate their muscle pain. However, for patients with myofascial pain syndrome or other conditions, regular treatments may be necessary.