What are Trigger Points?
Trigger points are painful “knots” in your muscles that often radiate outward from the trigger point to other parts of the body. They normally form after an acute trauma causing the muscle fibers to be stuck in a contracted state. They may also be caused by repetitive microtrauma, poor posture, and other issues that make muscle fibers vulnerable to recurring or constant strain. To the touch, trigger points feel like small (sometimes not so small) knots in your myofascial tissue. Depending on the location of the trigger points, they can cause “referred” pains in other areas, for example, tension headaches – if affecting the trapezius, piriformis – syndrome if affecting the piriformis muscle, etc. They are very common, occurring in 85% of the population at some point in their life.
What are trigger point injections?
A trigger point injection (TPI) can provide instant profound pain relief by helping relax the muscle tissue. At Beso Wellness and Beauty, TPI commonly involves injections of local anesthetic (like Procaine or Marcaine) with or without ozone to soothe myofascial pain, especially in your neck, shoulder, arms, legs, and lower back. A combination of ozone with Procaine is known as Prolozone therapy. Its benefits stretch far beyond just providing pain relief. Prolozone injections improve blood circulation and increase the healing process of the tissue.
How long do trigger point injections last?
Most patients experience pain reduction and a decrease in inflammation in the area being treated as well as radiating pain relief starting between 24 and 72 hours after the TPI procedure. Pain relief typically lasts for about 4-6 weeks. A single injection can often relieve the pain, but in cases of some chronic conditions, a series of injections might be required. To prevent the recurrence of symptoms, our therapist can also design a treatment plan that can include:
- Clinical Massage Therapy
- Heat
- Stretching
Who can benefit from TPIs?
Generally, for patients for whom physical therapy has not worked, or for whom the pain is too intense for physical therapy, trigger point injections are a great alternative for pain and inflammation relief. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, trigger point injections could be an option if other therapies have not been successful.
Are TPIs safe? What are the risks?
TPIs are generally safe and carry a very low risk of complications. You might feel temporary discomfort or numbness around the injection site. Our healthcare provider may recommend treating this with acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®). To reduce the risk of bruising, you can also apply ice packs to injection sites. In the hands of an experienced provider, complications of TPIs are rare, but can include the following:
- Allergic reaction to the local anesthetic agent
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Infection
- Vein injury
TPI consultations at Beso
At Beso Wellness and Beauty, all trigger point injections are performed by qualified and experienced personnel. To learn more about Trigger Point Injections, their benefits and risks, please give us a call at 480-447-8166
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