What are trigger points?
Trigger points are painful muscle knots that develop in taut bands of skeletal muscle. When pressed, trigger points may cause discomfort, and radiating pain that travels to other seemingly unrelated areas of your body. The trigger point may also cause muscle weakness or spasms.
It’s not completely clear what causes trigger points to develop, but doctors theorize that the contracted knots of muscle may occur after an injury or from repetitive use. Factors that may increase your risk of developing a trigger point include:
- Aging
- Lack of exercise
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Poor posture
- Chronic stress
- Inadequate sleep
Trigger points may develop in any area of the body, including the back and legs.
What are trigger point symptoms?
Most patients with trigger points complain of chronic pain conditions such as headaches, all over body aches, or morning stiffness that may seem unrelated to their muscle knot.
Other trigger point symptoms include:
- Muscle weakness, imbalance, or tightness
- Tenderness at the site of the trigger point
- Radiating pain
- A decrease in range of motion
If you’re suffering from a pain condition and traditional treatments fail to alleviate your symptoms, contact Scott Wagner Integrated Medicine to schedule an evaluation.
During your exam, your provider at Scott Wagner Integrated Medicine asks detailed questions about your symptoms and medical history. To find the trigger points responsible for your symptoms, your provider may press on certain muscle groups when performing your physical.
What are trigger point injections?
The team at Scott Wagner Integrated Medicine provides trigger point injections to treat trigger points. During the procedure, your medical provider injects either an anesthetic or saline solution directly into your trigger point using ultrasound-guided imagery. The injection inactivates the irritated muscle knot and provides instant relief.
We understand the word “injection” can sound a little scary. THESE ARE NOT CORTIZONE SHOTS! DON’T WORRY! THESE ARE NOT HARMFUL AND DO NOT BREAKDOWN GOOD TISSUES. It’s exactly the opposite. Here are some medical facts about the injections:
Trigger points (knots on your neck, back, shoulders, legs, feet) do not necessarily “hurt” until they are palpated (pressed on). But they do send pain throughout your body and cause tremendous “tightness” and “stress.” These “knots” occur from everyday life and are not always caused by an injury. Everyday strain and poor posture mostly contribute to trigger points.
Trigger point injections turn off the tight muscles so you can get an incredible adjustment without the tight muscles fighting against the adjustment and making you sorer.
Our team of medical providers will usually recommend trigger point injections before adjustments for about the first 15 visits.
Trigger point injections make the adjustment last longer which means a speedy process for you to get out of pain and on your way to doing what you love without discomfort.
Trigger Point Injections take 2-3 minutes each visit and make the world of difference for the outcome of your success.
The needle is very small, it’s a small sting if you even feel it, and you barely bleed at all, if any.
How many trigger point injections do I need?
The team at Scott Wagner Integrated Medicine determines the number of trigger point injections you need based on the number of trigger points found during your initial consultation. However, your medical provider may perform multiple trigger point injections in one visit.
For long-term pain relief, the team may recommend a series of trigger point injections, physical rehabilitation, or intravenous (IV) therapy.