What are Trigger Points?

Trigger Points are painful areas of muscle that are tender and may feel like tight bands or knots when pressed. Pressing on the trigger point will “trigger” pain at the area of pressure and often in other areas. For example, pressing on a trigger point at the top of the shoulder may send pain down the arm or up into the neck. Trigger points are overactive muscle areas that can come from stress, using the muscle too much, or problems with spine or posture. They are most often treated by improved posture, massage therapy, reduced stress, and exercise. Sometimes, these treatments will not correct a painful trigger point, and our Medical Team may want to treat the problem with a trigger point injection.

How are Trigger Points Injected?

When doing this treatment, your our Medical Provider will mark the skin over the point, clean the skin, spray a cooling spray to numb the area, and insert a fine needle through the skin into the trigger point area, that may cause a small “twitch”. You may be able to feel this twitch. It tells us that the trigger point has been reached. Our Medical Provider will then inject a small amount of medicine to numb the trigger area, and you may feel some burning at this time. Once the numbing medicine is given, our Medical Provider will move the needle gently in and out of the trigger area, changing direction multiple times to make sure the entire area is treated. The doctor will then massage the area afterwards and then place a Band-Aid over the area. Most trigger point treatments take 15 seconds or less, for each area.

What are the risks of Trigger Point injections?

The risk of infection is very small, as is the risk of bleeding after the injection. Most patients do not experience any side effects at all; however, a small percentage may feel a pinpoint area of muscle soreness the day after the injection for a short period of time. Please notify us if you are allergic to Marcaine (Bupaviacaine), Lidocaine, or any medications that end in “caine”.

How will I feel afterward?

You will feel relief right away or the relief might take up to 3-4 days after the trigger point treatment. This relief will last 4-12 hours possibly days to weeks, or even months. You may then feel some soreness. You should stretch the muscle, use ice or cold packs, or take a pain medicine to treat this soreness. Ask us what you can safely use. Within 1-2 days, soreness should fade, but the trigger point relief should last. There should be less pain than before treatment. While these treatments do not always work, most patients get relief for days, weeks, and sometimes months.

What else should I do after the injection?

When you are pain-free, use the time to stretch the treated muscle, perform your exercise program, and take other steps that will keep the trigger points from coming back.