Trigger points are those small areas of knotted muscles that are painful to the touch. You can also develop muscle weakness and limited movement due to a trigger point. Lighthouse Medical Center offers trigger point injections to quickly and effectively relieve your pain and restore normal muscle function. You don’t need to put up with the pain. Call the office in Pompano Beach, Florida, or schedule an appointment online for a trigger point injection. We also service patients from Boca Sunrise, Plantation, Ft Lauderdale, Cooper City, West Palm Beach, Weston, Miami, and Coconut Creek
Trigger Point Injections Q & A
What is a trigger point?
A trigger point is a tight, painful area in a muscle or the fascia, which is the connective tissue surrounding your muscles. You may have one trigger point or develop several knots along a band of muscles. When your trigger points cause chronic pain, you have a condition called myofascial pain syndrome.
There are two types of trigger points:
ACTIVE TRIGGER POINTS
This type of trigger point is very sensitive. You can often feel the pain while resting, and it may cause muscle weakness and referred pain, either along the affected muscle or in another part of your body. If you press on the trigger point, it often elicits an automatic muscle twitch.
LATENT TRIGGER POINTS
If you have a latent trigger point, it may hurt when you press on the area and limit your movement or cause muscle weakness, but the pain isn’t as severe as an active trigger point.
What causes a trigger point?
Trigger points develop due to:
- Repetitive muscle contraction during activities like pitching or typing
- Sustained loading that occurs when you lift heavy items
- Direct injury due to an athletic activity or falling
- Poor posture that places excessive stress on muscles
- Tense muscles due to stress or overuse
You can also end up with trigger points when you stay inactive for an extended time.
How does a trigger point injection relieve my pain?
Physical therapy and therapeutic massage may ease a trigger point, but if they don’t help, a trigger point injection can provide relief. Trigger point injections contain a local anesthetic like lidocaine, a corticosteroid, or both.
The anesthetic provides rapid pain relief, while the steroid is a potent anti-inflammatory agent that alleviates pain for much longer than the anesthetic.
It only takes a few minutes for your provider at Lighthouse Medical Center to administer a trigger point injection. The knotted tissues are isolated, then the needle is inserted into the trigger point and the medication is injected.
After your injection, you can get back to your daily activities. However, you should avoid strenuous activities for several days.
Trigger point injections are used to relieve myofascial pain, as well as pain caused by muscle knots, fibromyalgia, and tension headaches. To learn if you might benefit from a trigger point injection, call Lighthouse Medical Center or book an appointment online.