What is a trigger point? Trigger points are focal areas of spasm and inflammation in skeletal muscle. The rhomboid and trapezius back muscles, located in the upper back and shoulder areas, are a common site of trigger points. Along with the upper spine, trigger points can also occur in the low back or less commonly in the extremities. Often there is a palpable nodule in the muscle where the trigger point is located. The area is tender, and regularly when pushed, pain radiates from the trigger point itself to an area around the trigger point. Trigger points typically accompany chronic musculoskeletal disorders such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, neck pain and lower back painThey may also accompany tension headache and temporomandibular pain. trauma or recurring minor injury can lead to the development of trigger points.
How It Works Muscular back pain is sometimes triggered by tight knots or bands in the muscle, which form when the muscle cannot properly relax. You can feel these knots under your skin. If you press on them, you'll feel pain radiating from the area into your neck or toward other areas. Trigger points can also irritate nearby nerves, causing discomfort. When the back specialist inserts the needle directly into the knot, the muscle will twitch. The insertion of the needle itself is usually sufficient to relax the knot of muscle and treat the pain. However, for added pain relief, the back specialist may inject a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid.
What You Can Expect During your appointment with the back specialist, you can anticipate to undergo a physical exam. The specialist will determine where your trigger points are and ask you about your symptoms. Then, the skin directly above the trigger point is marked and cleansed. The back specialist inserts the needle and watches for a twitching of the muscle. To make certain that the entire knot of muscle has been dealt with, the doctor will gently move the needle in and out of the knot in various directions.
What to Do Afterward The procedure takes just a couple of minutes, after which you may be asked to stretch the muscle. You'll feel immediate relief of pain as a result of the local anesthetic. After the anesthetic wears off, you may feel some soreness. Trigger point injections can assist relieve pain for weeks or even months at a time.
What are complications and side effects of trigger point injections? A possible complication from the trigger point injection treatment is post-injection pain. This is relatively uncommon, but it can occur. This pain usually resolves by itself after a few days. It is more usual when no medication is injected into the trigger point (dry needling). Ice, heat, or over-the-counter medications including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium may be useful for post-injection pain. When a steroid medication is injected into the trigger point, shrinking of the body fat under the skin may occur, leaving a dent in the skin. This does not occur when just anesthetic is injected without having any steroid medication. Additional side effects are uncommon with trigger point injections but can occur anytime a needle pierces the skin, including infection and bleeding.
How It Works Muscular back pain is sometimes triggered by tight knots or bands in the muscle, which form when the muscle cannot properly relax. You can feel these knots under your skin. If you press on them, you'll feel pain radiating from the area into your neck or toward other areas. Trigger points can also irritate nearby nerves, causing discomfort. When the back specialist inserts the needle directly into the knot, the muscle will twitch. The insertion of the needle itself is usually sufficient to relax the knot of muscle and treat the pain. However, for added pain relief, the back specialist may inject a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid.
What You Can Expect During your appointment with the back specialist, you can anticipate to undergo a physical exam. The specialist will determine where your trigger points are and ask you about your symptoms. Then, the skin directly above the trigger point is marked and cleansed. The back specialist inserts the needle and watches for a twitching of the muscle. To make certain that the entire knot of muscle has been dealt with, the doctor will gently move the needle in and out of the knot in various directions.
What to Do Afterward The procedure takes just a couple of minutes, after which you may be asked to stretch the muscle. You'll feel immediate relief of pain as a result of the local anesthetic. After the anesthetic wears off, you may feel some soreness. Trigger point injections can assist relieve pain for weeks or even months at a time.
What are complications and side effects of trigger point injections? A possible complication from the trigger point injection treatment is post-injection pain. This is relatively uncommon, but it can occur. This pain usually resolves by itself after a few days. It is more usual when no medication is injected into the trigger point (dry needling). Ice, heat, or over-the-counter medications including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium may be useful for post-injection pain. When a steroid medication is injected into the trigger point, shrinking of the body fat under the skin may occur, leaving a dent in the skin. This does not occur when just anesthetic is injected without having any steroid medication. Additional side effects are uncommon with trigger point injections but can occur anytime a needle pierces the skin, including infection and bleeding.
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