What Are Trigger Point Injections?
Trigger point injections (TPI) are designed to reduce or relieve the pain of trigger points. Trigger points are small, tender knots that can form in muscles or in the fascia. These may be caused by injury or the overuse of the affected muscle. Trigger points can also be caused by stress and anxiety.
At Summit Healthcare Pain Clinic in Show Low, AZ we offer this quick procedure to improve and relieve the pain from your trigger points.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Trigger Point Injections For Pain Management?
Trigger points can be quite painful, as your muscles tend to get tighter and tighter in certain areas. You may be able to break these knots down with stretching, if you know the correct muscles to stretch and how to do so. You may be able to break down trigger points with massage.
But trigger point injections go directly to the spot where your pain is originating. You don’t have to hope the treatment works, as you’ll immediately feel a difference after the mix of anesthetic and corticosteroid is injected into your problem muscle or fascia tissue.
Conditions Treated With Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections can treat a variety of conditions including:
- Tension headaches
- Fibromyalgia
- Myofascial pain syndrome
If you are suffering from any of the above conditions, you may be a candidate for trigger point injections.
What To Expect During TPI Procedure
For the TPI procedure, Dr. Dax Trujillo, will press and pinch your skin to locate the trigger point. Once it has been identified, he will cleanse the overlying skin and apply a topical anesthetic to temporarily numb the area. Dr. Trujillo will then carefully insert a needle through the skin and into the trigger point, injecting an anesthetic mixture to cause the trigger point to relax. If the trigger point does not relax completely, the doctor may need to give additional injections.
When the injection is complete, Dr. Trujillo will remove the needle and place a small bandage over the injection site. You may be encouraged to stretch and move the muscle after the trigger point injections. The entire procedure only takes 15-20 minutes.
How Long Does It Take For A Trigger Point Injection To Work?
These injections deliver immediate results. There is no waiting to see if you feel better. The anesthetic/corticosteroid mix instantly gets to work relaxing the overly tight muscles and fascia tissue.
Is There Any Downtime After A TPI Procedure?
No, you can use the muscles involved immediately. Actually, Dr. Trujillo encourages you to do that to help loosen the muscle where the injection was delivered. You may have some soreness at the injection site, but it’s nothing acute or overly painful. Over-the-counter medication will alleviate any discomfort.
Side Effects Of Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections are considered safe, but you may have a few side effects. You may feel sore around the injection site for a couple days, but applying ice can help with this. You will be able to resume your normal activities the next day.
Are Trigger Point Injections Painful?
Are Trigger Point Injections Safe?
These are very safe treatments. Both Lidocaine and corticosteroids have been used for all kinds of treatments across the medical world. They have proven to be safe and effective for both eliminating pain and for calming inflammation. The only side effects of trigger point injections can be some soreness at the injection site for a couple days.
How Often Should You Undergo a TPI Procedure?
When Dr. Trujillo is first addressing your knotted areas, he may give you several injections over the course of a couple weeks. But that is only to calm long building tightness and pain. After that initial flurry, trigger point injection sessions should occur only once every other month. But you probably won’t need that many.
Schedule A Consultation
To learn more about Trigger Point Injections, contact Summit Healthcare Pain Clinic. Call us at (928) 532-1605 or submit an appointment request form to schedule a consultation with Dr. Dax Trujillo. Our practice serves Show Low, Arizona, and surrounding areas.
