Trigger Point Injection
Trigger points are “knotty” areas or bands in muscle tissue. Trigger points are commonly seen in “Myofascial Pain Syndrome.”
Trigger Point Injections (TPI) are sometimes given for neck pain, headaches, and low back pain to treat muscle spasm and other soft tissue problems. Typically a low dose of anesthetic medication is injected into the trigger point(s) after careful examination. This is a simple “in office procedure” and can give excellent relief for headaches of myofascial origin and soft tissue damage.
A mixture of lidocaine, marcaine, and steroid is often used to inject into the muscle trigger point, which helps to relieve muscle spasm. Often, the patient is sent to physical therapy afterwards to be stretch out while the muscle is anesthetized.
Trigger Point Injections are not painful, and may be repeated on an occasional basis. The mechanism of action is by reducing the focal point of the muscle spasm. TPI are useful in the following situations:
-Muscle spasm in the back or neck
-Headaches associated with neck pain
-Focal areas of muscle hyperactivity