What are Trigger Point Injections?
A trigger point injection is a minimally invasive outpatient treatment to relieve pain from the effects of trigger points, commonly found in the back and spine region.
Trigger point injections (TPI) have become a viable option for managing and relieving pain caused as a result of these trigger points.
The trigger point injections may contain anesthetics or corticosteroid medication and are injected directly into the muscle by a physician at South Florida Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.
Trigger point injections are usually administered within our Fluoroscopy Suite and take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. The injections have been used to alleviate conditions such as fibromyalgia, migraine headaches and chronic pain.
Some rare occurring risks associated with trigger point injections include:
- Dizziness
- Bleeding
- Infection at the needle site
- Additional discomfort
- Having an allergic reaction to the medication
What is a Trigger Point?
When you experience pain, spasm and inflammation in your muscles for any given period of time, knots can form. These knots are known as trigger points. As these knotted bands of muscle fiber remain tense, they can lose their ability to relax, and continue to stay tied and bundled up, generating additional pain and discomfort.
These tense fibers cause irritation to the nerves around them, and can produce pain, otherwise known as referred pain that can be perceived elsewhere in the body.
The muscles of the mid and upper back are particularly susceptible to the formation of trigger points, which can lead to chronic headaches, and neck and shoulder pain. Lower back muscles are also a common site where trigger points may crop up.
What is the Recovery Process from Trigger Point Injections?
After trigger point injections, a simple bandage is applied to cover the skin. There may be some soreness where the needle was inserted, and the soreness may persist for several days following treatment.
Recovery time is generally very fast, with many patients returning to work the same day. However, patients are advised to refrain from intense physical activity at least for several days.
The injection can take up to two weeks to work, but the pain relief can last up to several months. Every patient will respond differently to the treatment, and its efficacy for each individual cannot be determined until after they’ve had an injection.
Patients are generally scheduled for a repeat injection after four to six months.