Trigger Point Injections
WHY?
Sometimes you may have “spots” or “knots” that will just not go away no matter what you try. These trigger spots can nag and cause significant pain. They can also refer to different areas to cause additional problems such as headache, arm, or leg pain. Palpation of these areas often causes referred pain or “shooters” into another part of your body. A common spot for this is your upper back, between the shoulder blades. This can even cause numbness and tingling down your arm and be confused with “nerve impingement.”
These are safe, effective treatments that can typically “fix” the problem with just 1-2 visit.
WHAT?
The two common types of trigger point injections are with local anesthetic along or local anesthetic plus anti-inflammatory (triamcinolone (Kenalog) or ketorolac (Toradol)). Triamcinolone is a corticosteroid. We find triamcinolone to be safer and just as effective as cortisone. On the other hand, Ketoralac is a non-steroid or “NSAID,” like commonly known Ibuprofen (Advil) but much more potent. They both have great use in certain cases. This will be discussed with you in detail depending on your situation.
The goal of this treatment option is to:
- Decrease pain
- Decrease inflammation
- Improve function
- Facilitate the healing of the issue
HOW?
Once we have determined this is the right treatment for you, it is typically administered the same day as your consultation or follow up visit.
EXPECTATIONS?
With trigger point injections, relief is commonly immediate. This is a great benefit of this type of treatment. We expect tremendous relief with the first injection. If only partial relief is obtained, we sometimes must repeat them a few more times 1-2 weeks apart. There is no recovery per se for these injections.
RISKS?
Trigger point injections are a very common, low risk treatment option. We are extremely proficient at providing them with over 30,000 performed thus far. We will talk more in the office to see if this is the right treatment option for you.
NEXT STEP?
It is most valuable to schedule a comprehensive consultation to discuss your issue, goals, and treatment options. We look forward to meeting you!