Approximately 1.71 billion people are affected by musculoskeletal conditions worldwide. Musculoskeletal disorders are made up of diverse conditions and affect varied areas of the body. Such as our bones, connective tissue, joints, and muscles. Find out more on trigger point pain in our blog and how trigger point needles can help combat your muscle pain!

The What and How of Trigger Points

Those living with musculoskeletal disorders frequently combat pain and even loss of function, as it is the leading cause of disability among the working-age population. Knot pain is a common and may manifest as a tender knot in a muscle or aching and deep pain in one’s muscle. These areas of compact muscle fiber are known as trigger points and, true to their name are triggering to the afflicted. Trigger points produce pain locally and are classified as either active or latent.

• Active trigger points are muscle knots in the body that cause pain, whether pressed upon or at rest, often causing daily aches and pains. This pain is also capable of spreading to other areas.
• Latent trigger points can be present for years before detection and cause pain and stiffness, but typically only when you press upon the area. They are prevalent and can progress into active trigger points.

Trigger Point Injections – How They Come into Play

Muscle pain doesn’t discriminate, affecting all walks of life from the friendly neighbor helping move boxes or a mother mid-pregnancy; muscle pain is universal. However, for some people, the pain can become impossible to ignore. When pain persists for an extended period, you may be dealing with myofascial pain. A chronic condition causing muscular pain that deals with trigger points, the sensitive areas discussed above.

The silver lining to localized pain is that localized treatment becomes available. Trigger point injections (TPI) are an effective pain management treatment. Through the use of the injection of a local anesthetic into a trigger point, aids in relaxing and alleviating pain in the muscle. Trigger point injections can be included in treatment plans for chronic pain and medical conditions. Ranging from muscle injury treatment to tension headaches and fibromyalgia treatment. Typically, trigger point injections will include the injection of local anesthetics such as corticosteroids or botulinum toxin.

How Do Trigger Point Injections Function?

Once injected into the targeted muscle, the anesthetic will begin to block pain receptors within the nerves surrounding that muscle. As a result, reducing the pain signals delivered to the brain. When steroid medication is utilized, it helps minimize the inflammation of the tissue around the nerves. As a result, assisting in lessening muscle knot pain. Yet, without medication the needle alone is known to have benefits. Using the needle to the problem area separates and relaxes muscle fiber, providing further pain relief. The medical approach of “dry needling” is mainly employed with patients who face anesthetic allergies.

Trigger point injections are an excellent source of pain relief for patients and often showcase rapid results. Aim the trigger at the pain with trigger point injections!

Life can be challenging, but it doesn’t need to be triggering! At KPW Health, we dedicate our time to individualizing your pain management treatment so you can live fully and comfortably!

For more information on what KPW Health can do for you, call (727) 230 – 3423 or contact us directly through our website today.

Resources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11871683/

https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2002/0215/p653.html

https://www.medstarhealth.org/services/trigger-point-injections