The Science Behind Trigger Point Injections

Trigger points are called knots but are actually bundles of contracted muscle that feel like a knot. A trigger point involves a group of muscle fibers in an area, and it differs from a cramp, such as a charley horse, which involves a single whole large muscle.

Stress or trauma to the body, or overuse of muscles, can cause trigger points. They can become more painful if aggravated by exercise or movement.

A massage therapist can identify trigger points by applying pressure to the area and feeling for involuntary contractions of the muscles around them. When the therapist applies pressure on these areas while they are in contact with tender nerves—called sensitive spots—the therapist can help relieve pain caused by trigger points.

A trigger point is a common source of pain for many people, and it occurs when the muscle is not being used properly. It can arise from everyday activities like weightlifting or other strenuous exercises, from being under too much stress, or from sleeping in the wrong position. Often all it needs is some rest, ice, and a good massage.

When trigger points are present in a muscle, pain and impaired muscle function can result. Trigger points can make it difficult to move the muscle correctly and can cause burning or tingling in the affected area. The pain can be so severe that you feel like you’re going to pass out if you try to move the muscle too much.

See a doctor or physical therapist who specializes in treating trigger points.

A trigger point injection helps relieve pain and muscle spasms caused by a trigger point. A trigger point is a tiny knot in the muscle that can cause pain, especially when it hangs on and doesn’t get treated by conservative treatments. It can also lead to muscle spasms, which can make it difficult to lose weight or exercise.

Trigger point injections at DreamWork help you get rid of trigger points that are causing pain and discomfort, so you can enjoy your active lifestyle again.

Factors that cause trigger points

Most of the time, trigger points are caused by a combination of factors. However, there are some conditions that can exacerbate or occur simultaneously with trigger points and cause more serious physical conditions.

These include:

• Fibromyalgia: Commonly called “fibro,” fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, fatigue, and other symptoms. It can cause pain in the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints.

• Cervical radiculopathy: A problem with the spinal cord, cervical radiculopathy can be caused by injuries or infections and can sometimes occur together with trigger points in the neck and shoulders. Typically this will present as pain in one or both arms.

• Rheumatoid arthritis: This autoimmune disease causes inflammation of the joints that may result in pain and stiffness. Corticosteroid medication may be prescribed to help control symptoms such as swelling and stiffness associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Myofascial pain syndrome is a condition that causes pain in your muscles and connective tissue. Trigger points are tiny knots in your muscles that can cause pain. They’re not unusual—and they don’t always stay in one place.

Myofascial pain syndrome can occur in many different areas of your body and affect many different areas. It can cause headaches, migraines, and neck pain; back pain; arm or wrist pain; headaches, migraines, and neck pain; jaw pain; shoulder pain; leg or thigh pain; ankle or foot pain; hip or buttock pain; knee or leg pain; elbow or forearm pain; hand or finger.

Understanding the principles of trigger point injections

If you’re suffering from trigger point pain, rest, ice, and massage therapy might not be enough for you to get relief. In this case, trigger point injections may be the answer.

Tight spots on muscles that create pain when you move or exercise are called trigger points. They are caused by a muscle’s inability to relax after it has been used. Trigger points don’t heal with rest alone; they take time to heal, and they can be painful if left untreated.

During a trigger point injection procedure, a patient receives medicine into the area of concern via an injection needle. This medicine helps reduce inflammation and pain associated with trigger points by blocking signals sent from nerve endings in the affected area back up to your brain through the spinal cord (the same way a nerve block does).

Doctors and researchers are still debating the science behind trigger point injections, which are a popular treatment for back pain and other musculoskeletal pain conditions. They work by relaxing muscle fibers, which stop the pain.

Doctors first discovered trigger points in the 1950s. One theory is that these points are the result of fibrous bands that connect muscle groups together; when those fibers contract, they pull on one another, which causes the trigger point to form.

Another theory is that trigger points form when an area gets stretched too far or repeatedly overused.

For some people with back pain, trigger point injections are an amazing, effective treatment. But they don’t work for everyone, and there are several things to consider before getting a trigger point injection.

Some people will find that trigger point injections work immediately, and their pain subsides dramatically. Others may have to try several times before they get the results they want. Still, others may not be able to get any relief at all from trigger point injections.

If you think your symptoms might be related to trigger points in your back, consult a doctor first—they can help you figure out if trigger points are the cause of your pain. If they are, then getting an injection is likely to help you feel better right away!

Trigger point injections: Should they be used or avoided?

DreamWork will help you treat these trigger points and get them under control, to stop pain before it happens. Trigger points are a common source of pain, but they can be difficult to treat. In fact, many people who have trigger points are unable to treat them at all.

This is because most doctors don’t know how to treat trigger points.

Luckily, there’s an alternative: trigger point injections. Trigger point injections are injecting a small amount of local anesthetic into a painful spot on your body, and this can help relieve pain by interrupting nerve signals and muscle activity.

In one study, researchers found that dry needling (similar to acupuncture) was as effective as trigger point injections in treating pain caused by trigger points in the muscles (acupuncture being more effective than dry needling).

While trigger points can cause pain in your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, they’re also a major cause of inflammation.

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or infection. It’s a sign that your body is healing itself—but it can also be harmful when it occurs in other parts of your body.

So how do you know if you have trigger points? Dr. Patel uses a highly trained hand to palpate (feel with her fingers) the area between the muscle and its tendon sheath, just below where it attaches to the bone.

Another ingredient in [product name] is a local anesthetic called lidocaine. Once this floods the area, it instantly blocks pain receptors from sending messages to your brain.

It’s like putting a blanket over the pain, so it’s easier to forget that you’re hurting at all.

Migraines are debilitating. The pain can be so severe that you may find yourself having trouble just getting out of bed. And it can be so difficult to get through the day with a migraine that you might not even realize how much work you’re missing until later on.

What if there was a way to help treat migraines without needing to take medicine or visit the doctor? What if there was something that could help make your life easier, and maybe even give you back some of your lost time? This is called Botox®, and it’s helpful.

Botox® is a neurotoxin that temporarily paralyzes targeted muscles. These muscles are responsible for contracting and causing the pain associated with migraines, so when they’re paralyzed, they can’t contract and cause pain. In some cases, Botox® may not be effective enough to completely eliminate migraines—but it can definitely make a big difference in your quality of life by helping reduce them.

Why should you worry about muscle pain?

If you have trigger points in your muscles, they can be annoying, but they won’t really cause you any harm. But if they don’t go away, they could multiply into a more serious condition called myofascial pain syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome is a condition that causes pain in the muscles and fascia of your body. You may not even know you have it until it gets worse, or until the pain has spread to other parts of your body.

If your trigger points feel like a stabbing pain or tingling in your legs, back, arms or shoulders, they may be causing the problem—and not just because of everyday aches and pains.

Trigger points can occur anywhere along the body’s muscular system and often refer to areas where muscles join together: in the neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, and wrists; in the stomach; and in the lower back. They can also develop at the base of toes and fingers.

Common causes of trigger point pain include overuse injuries (such as running), poor body mechanics (such as improperly stretching or lifting), and poor posture (such as slouching). Some people also experience trigger point pain due to conditions such as fibromyalgia or arthritis.