When a Trigger Point Injection Might Be the Answer to Relieving Your Pain
We rely on our muscles to move us through our days. But all of the strain of carrying our bodies forward while keeping us upright can take its toll. In some cases, your muscle fibers can get tight, resulting in a knot that doesn’t relax even when you stretch. Doctors call this a trigger point. You might even be able to feel the trigger point when you rub the area.
Fortunately, if you’re dealing with this persistent problem, Dr. Halina Snowball can bring you relief with a trigger point injection. She offers this convenient option to treat your painful knot and the resulting symptoms right here at Integrated Pain Solutions in Stamford, Connecticut.
To help you decide if a trigger point injection might be right for you, let’s take a look at these muscle knots and how to treat them.
Identifying trigger points
You might feel a trigger point form after you strain or otherwise injure your muscle, but some trigger points develop on their own. You can get this type of knot in virtually any part of your body, but it’s particularly common in your back, neck, arms, and legs.
You might notice that you have a trigger point because you can feel the knot. Even if you can’t, you might identify a trigger point by its localized muscle pain or the referred pain that develops as the knot puts pressure on nearby nerves.
If you think you might have this type of knot, visit Dr. Snowball. By stretching and feeling the muscle, she can tell you whether or not you have a trigger point. And if you do, she’ll be able to precisely locate it.
Getting relief from your pain
To bring you relief, Dr. Snowball injects your knot with a small amount of a relaxing solution. As the knot relaxes, any related pain you’ve been experiencing should ease.
Because trigger point injections cause the treated area to release tension, they can also be effective for myofascial pain, tension headaches, and fibromyalgia.
All told, if you have pain that feels muscular or tension-related, especially if you can feel a knot under your skin, a trigger point injection might be the answer to relieving your pain.
What to expect with a trigger point injection
If Dr. Snowball recommends a trigger point injection, you’ll probably wonder what to expect. Fortunately, this is a quick, convenient treatment that takes just a few minutes.
Once Dr. Snowball locates your trigger point, she cleans the area and administers the injection. To ensure you’re as comfortable as possible, she includes a local anesthetic in the injection to numb the area. Most people say the injection itself feels like a small pinch.
You might be a little sore at the injection site for a couple of days. You can manage the pain with cold or heat packs.
Depending on the severity of your trigger point, Dr. Snowball may recommend more than one injection. She talks with you about your pain levels so she can develop the right treatment plan for you.
To learn if this quick treatment could be the answer to your pain, call our office at 203-293-0549 or request an appointment online today.