Can You Benefit from Trigger Point Injections?

Though pain slows anyone down, you probably feel confident that it will go away at some point. Those with chronic pain disorders have stopped thinking like that, sadly. This type of persistent pain not only attacks your body, but your emotional wellbeing as well. Many chronic pain sufferers report feeling hopeless about ever getting relief. 

It’s a vicious cycle, too, because depression’s symptoms make your pain worse. 

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a chronic musculoskeletal pain condition that affects particularly sensitive places in your muscles: the trigger points. In addition to having pain in your trigger points, MPS can also cause referred pain, or pain in distant parts of your body. 

Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia, Dr. Jeremy La Motte, and the entire Gain Wellness Center team offer an advanced treatment for MPS that has transformed many of their patients’ lives. 

Since the practice is focused on assessing your total wellness and not just isolated symptoms, your pain and overall health are examined through multiple lenses, so a customized treatment plan can be created for you. 

Myofascial pain syndrome symptoms cause real suffering

Myofascial pain syndrome is cruel because the pain it causes not only hangs on, it worsens as time goes by. This is enough to make sufferers feel hopeless. 

Trigger point pain related to this condition is typically caused when your muscle is contracted over and over again. Individuals who play certain sports and do work that requires repetitive movement are especially prone to MPS, and pain settles in the tight areas of your fascia, which are bands of muscle. 

When it isn’t possible for your muscles to loosen up, you can actually feel the pain lumps at your trigger points. Trigger point pain isn’t just part of MPS, however. You can suffer from it if you have chronic headaches, back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, and more. 

Risk factors for trigger point pain

In addition to the painful conditions we mentioned, trigger point pain has also been linked to muscle tears, stress, and even poor posture.

This is important to consider because these additional conditions are diverse, and all are addressed by our practice. We offer physical therapy for traumatic injuries, stress management strategies, and chiropractic care that can improve your posture as well as increase your comfort. 

Eradicating persistent pain

A solution that we use for patients at Gain Wellness Center that has proven to bring great relief is the trigger point injection. The injection holds within it two effective pain relieving agents that, when combined, have even greater effectiveness: corticosteroid and anesthetic medication. The former stops your brain from sensing the pain, and the latter lessens inflammation. 

We may also complement your trigger point injections with a “dry needling,” which is the insertion of an unmedicated needle into your trigger point. Even though it doesn’t contain medication, the treatment can aid your muscle in relaxing. We might also recommend a course of physical therapy for trigger point pain. 

The process of getting a trigger point injection isn’t unpleasant, and its benefits far exceed any minor discomfort. We make sure you’re comfortable, and you can choose to sit or recline. 

After we determine where you need your injection by manually examining you (tests like CT scans and MRIs don’t “see” trigger point knots), we sterilize your injection site, administer the shot, and you’re done. 

Other than mild soreness, redness, or numbness at your injection site, which resolves quickly, there aren’t any side effects with trigger point injections. Although you need to take a break from heavy physical activity for several days after your treatment, you can go about your normal activities — including using the muscle that got injected — directly after treatment. 

Depending on your trigger point pain severity, you may need more than one injection, but your doctor determines the best course of treatment for you after a complete wellness exam, where we evaluate your hormonal balance, gut health, emotional wellbeing, and cardio metabolic health. 

If your trigger point pain has made your life miserable, schedule a free wellness consultation at our office. You can call us to book one, or complete the process online. 

Author

Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia, DC, AFMCP Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia, DC, AFMCP, is the founder of Gain Wellness Center in Poway, California. At the integrated medical practice, one of Dr. Walia's, greatest goals, as a health care provider, is to provide her practice members with alternative, but healthy and safe choices that will enhance their health and well-being. She likes to motivate and educate her practice members to take charge of their health by providing them with evidence-based information so that they can make informed decisions regarding their own personal health and take control of their health. Dr. Walia was born in India and raised in Canada before moving to San Diego. She attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada for her Master of Science degree with specialties in Biology and Physiology. She had various publications in research articles during her time at McMaster University funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. She has three kids and enjoys cooking, hiking and going to the beach with her family.