Trigger points are painful “knots” of muscle that form when said muscles remain tense and stressed for an extended period. These knots can often be felt under the skin when you touch or rub the affected area. Trigger points may irritate the nerves around them and cause pain.
Trigger point injections are administered to help relieve that pain.
Using a needle, a local anesthetic is injected directly into the trigger point. The medication helps the muscles at the site of the trigger point relax, reducing inflammation and relieving pain. Along with numbing the pain in the muscle, the medication also improves blood flow to the area, allowing the body to heal itself faster. Trigger point injections can be used on many muscle groups and are especially effective in the treatment of tension referred headaches and myofascial pain syndrome.