Can Trigger Point Injections Cause Muscle Damage?

Trigger point injections are a common treatment for chronic muscle pain, but can they cause muscle damage? In some cases, anesthetic-based trigger point injections can lead to a serious form of muscle damage called myonecrosis. This type of damage can heal within 3 to 4 weeks. The risk of complications associated with these injections is very low, but the most common risks include bleeding or infection at the injection site. Common side effects that occur after a trigger point injection include numbness or pain at the injection site.

These side effects usually resolve within a few days. Trigger point injections may also cause temporary pain for a day or two, and multiple injections at once may cause mild dizziness for several hours. Rare adverse effects, such as bleeding, allergies, infections and nerve damage, are mainly due to clinical errors and adverse reactions from the injections. A muscle with trigger points becomes stiff and doesn't relax as expected under normal conditions. During the procedure, the doctor will insert a small needle into a myofascial trigger point and inject the medication.

Ultrasound imaging can help minimize the risk of developing a serious complication from trigger-point injections. The patient is asked to sit or sleep in an appropriate reclining position to inject the medication at the trigger point. In myofascial pain syndrome, trigger points stimulate pain responses in apparently unrelated parts of the body. The trigger point refers to a sensitive, discrete, focal, hyperirritable, spastic or painful point in the muscle. Trigger points in the shoulders, neck and head may contribute to migraine and tension headache disorders, according to the American Migraine Foundation. Trigger point injections use a variety of medications to relieve muscle pain, depending on the intensity of the pain, symptoms, and the best possible response to treatment.

Trigger point injections can offer immediate pain relief and better range of motion for people with chronic muscle pain. The findings suggest that myofascial trigger points influence the intensity of these types of headache. The researchers found significantly more myofascial trigger points in the migraine group. Trigger point injection is administered to relieve muscle pain and functional bottlenecks associated with trigger points. A trigger point injection (TPI) involves injecting a local anesthetic or saline solution at the trigger point to reduce pain.

A needle is inserted through the soft tissue to reach the point and an anesthetic medication is injected alone or in combination with steroids. Trigger point injections can be a safe treatment for chronic pain conditions such as myofascial pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and tension headaches. However, it is important to be aware that anesthetic-based trigger point injections can cause myonecrosis - a serious form of muscle damage that can take up to 4 weeks to heal.

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