Trigger point injections (TPI) are an outpatient procedure used to treat painful areas of the muscle that contain trigger points, or “muscle knots” that form when muscles don't relax. When this happens, trigger point injections go directly to the source of the pain to relieve it. Most people experience pain relief 24 to 72 hours after the triggering point injection procedure. Immediately after the injection, it is normal to feel some pain relief, however, this is due to the local anesthesia that was injected.
The steroid, when used, takes two or three days to take effect. When you do, some patients will experience significant pain relief lasting several weeks. Other people may not benefit from injections at all. 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 injection is administered to relieve muscle pain and functional bottlenecks associated with trigger points.
A needle is inserted through the soft tissue to reach the point and an anesthetic medication is injected alone or in combination with steroids. Then, Pasi will massage the treatment areas to help the medication spread over the muscles surrounding the trigger point. Trigger point injections are generally safe and can relieve pain for people who have been experiencing pain associated with trigger points and who haven't found relief with more conservative treatments, such as over-the-counter pain relievers or physical therapy. Taking steps such as reducing stress levels, improving posture, and participating in an exercise program can often ease pain at trigger points. Ultimately, these knots cause a pain cycle that continues until the tension is broken, which is the object of trigger point therapy. Most patients will experience pain relief 24 to 72 hours after the injection.
Pain relief may last for about a month. Recurrent injections may be needed to achieve long-term pain relief.
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