Are you suffering from reoccurring pain? Do you find yourself limping as you age? Do you constantly have muscle knots in your back that won’t relax? Life Health Medical Center provides trigger point injections as they aid in the rehabilitation program and help your body get back to full strength faster. Using trigger point injections is the best way to reset the nerve response time and allows it the relaxation to heal properly. Patients suffering from chronic muscular pain are those that often see benefits from using trigger point injections. Additional pain can start to develop gradually as you compensate for non-use of the muscle.
How do Trigger Point Injections Work?
Trigger points refer to the tights nodules or “knots” in the muscle that can happen when the muscle contracts and does not relax. They often occur in the back and around the shoulder blades. These knots can be very painful and radiate pain if pressure is added to them. Trigger point injections use small filament needles to relax the muscle sites causing pain. The injection may included medication to numb the site or just include the needle that shocks the muscle into relaxing. By working on the areas that are causing pain, patients are able to stretch the muscles more effectively. Correct movement of the muscle helps to restore range of motion and makes it easier for patients to perform physical activities. The injections help cause a reaction in the muscle to increase blood flow throughout, which delivers nutrients and replenishing cells to the muscle and assists in the healing process. If the muscle has inflammation, Life Health Medical can do joint injections, which may include steroids or an anesthetic to help reduce the inflammation in the area.
It is important to understand that trigger point injections are normally used as part of a larger treatment program. The injections may not be able to completely alleviate all of the pain. We highly recommend sticking with the personalized program we have created to help you find pain relief. With each set of trigger point injections, you will be able to see improvements.
Other Conditions Treated
In addition to muscle pain and inflamed tissue, trigger point injections can also be used to treat tension headaches and fibromyalgia. Some patients with myofascial pain syndrome also noticed a difference after this treatment. This procedure is often used for other conditions such as these when other treatments were not successful.
What To Expect
The term trigger point injection can scare many people. Dr. Wood is trained in trigger point injections and uses the latest methods to ensure correct treatment. When you come into our Salt Lake office, you can expect to lie down or be sitting during the procedure. Dr. Wood will discuss the procedure and will begin with cleansing the area with antiseptic before gently inserting the needle into the muscle site. Most patients experience slight discomfort from the muscle as it contracts and releases. The entire procedure can last just a few minutes based on the area that needs to be treated. Afterwards, you can actively use the muscle and are often referred to physical therapy to keep the muscle active and relaxed to avoid issues in the future.
Are There Any Risks?
There are very low risks with these procedure and complications at the injection site are very uncommon. The possible complication can include bleeding and infection and are very rare. Trigger point injections are considered a noninvasive procedure and is very quick to perform. The pain during the procedure has been reported as a mild discomfort and no anesthesia is needed. There is a possibility of temporary soreness and numbness around the injection site. This is a great treatment option for patients who are experiencing muscle pain but do want or need surgery.
