Discover an outpatient procedure with minimal downtime, and quick relief from chronic pain in Corinth.

Trigger point injection therapy is a conservative treatment used to treat chronic muscle pain, specifically in the neck or back. It’s an outpatient treatment, meaning that it does not require hospital admission or overnight stay, and takes only minutes to receive. The anesthetic medication in the trigger point injection is delivered directly into the muscle knots or fascia to release muscle tension that causes chronic pain. Learn more about trigger point therapy for chronic pain, as offered by Midsouth Spine & Pain in Corinth.

What are trigger point injections?

Trigger point injections are useful in treating myofascial pain. “Myo” means muscle and “fascial” means fascia, which is thin connective tissue wrapped around your muscles. When pain and tenderness develop in a specific area like in the neck, back, arms, or legs, it’s typically due to trigger points or muscle knots. These trigger points may feel lumpy, bumpy, or like nodules in your muscles that are tender or painful to touch. Trigger points can also cause chronic pain even without touching or palpating the area.

Where can I receive trigger point injections?

Common muscles treated by trigger point injections may include:

• Jaw muscle, known as masseter muscle
• Levator scapulae, or the sides of your neck
• Hip muscles, referred to as gluteus medius
• Deep muscles of the lower back or the quadratus lumborum
• Trapezius muscles between your shoulder blades, extending from your shoulders to the back of the neck
• Front neck muscles referred to as the Sternocleidomastoid muscle
• Temporalis, which is the muscle along the sides of your head

How do I know if I could benefit from trigger point injections?

The best way to know if trigger point injections are the right pain relief therapy for you is to have a consultation with a pain management specialist near you in Tupelo. At MSSP, our pain specialists provide a thorough examination and evaluate diagnostic data to ensure that you receive individualized care that addresses your specific pain needs. But trigger point therapy works well for patients experiencing chronic muscle pain, especially if the pain causes other issues like knotted trapezius muscle causing frequent tension headaches or a piriformis muscle in the hip causing sciatic nerve pain.

You may also benefit from trigger point injections if you experience:

• Muscle strain
• Pain from structural causes
• Degenerative arthritis
• Herniated disk
• Spinal stenosis
• Radiculopathy or pinched nerve

What is the medication used in trigger point injections?

The components of the injection medication may vary, depending on your unique pain-relieving needs. The injections typically include a local anesthetic paired with a corticosteroid or botulinum toxin like Botox.

What can I expect from the results of trigger point injection?

Everyone responds differently to trigger point injection therapy, although most patients report feeling pain relief within 24 to 72 hours after receiving their injection. You should expect to feel relieved of your symptoms for about a month. Depending on your case, you may need to return to your pain specialist at MSSP to receive additional rounds of trigger point injections, although it is not abnormal to receive only one round and feel lasting relief.

What’s it like to get a trigger point injection?

• Your body is positioned so that the pain management specialist can access the area to be treated.
• Next, the physician will use a disinfectant like alcohol to wipe your skin clean.
• Then, the pain relief doctor locates the muscle knot either by palpating or gently pinching the area. This could feel tender or uncomfortable momentarily. Some areas may be more painful than others, depending on the muscle location, and how long the chronic pain has been going on.
• The pain specialist then inserts the trigger point injection to administer the medication. The doctor also may move the needle around a bit to create an intentional muscle spasm, which stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanism to send health repair cells to the treatment area or muscle knot, encouraging the muscle fascia to relax.
• Afterwards, band-aids may be placed over the injection site because sometimes, a tiny amount of blood may ooze.
• You should move and gently stretch the area following the injection, although plan on avoiding strenuous activity for the first few days.

What are the risks of trigger point injections?

There are minimal risks associated with trigger point injections. Temporary discomfort and numbness at the injection site are commonly reported, although can be relieved by taking over-the-counter-pain relievers and applying ice packs to the injection site to minimize swelling, discomfort, and possible bruising.

Common side effects may include:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Injury to the surrounding veins
• Allergic reaction to the anesthetic medication

However, these risks are rare when you choose a double board-certified pain doctor like MSSP.

Trigger Point Injection Therapy for Pain in Southwest Tennessee and North Mississippi, including Tupelo, MS and Jackson, TN

Reclaim your health and your movement, pain-free, by choosing Midsouth Spine & Pain Associates. Learn more about trigger point injection therapy or schedule a consultation by calling (662) 284-8565.