Chronic pain isn’t always in the joints: it can concentrate in the muscles, causing painful muscle knots called trigger points. At Pain Consultants of Atlanta, an independent pain management practice serving the Greater Atlanta area, the team of experienced providers offers targeted injections to resolve painful trigger points. There are four offices located in Atlanta, Fayetteville, Stockbridge and Newnan, Georgia, so the practice has convenient locations all over the Atlanta metropolitan area. Call the office nearest you or book your appointment online today.
Trigger points are knotted-up muscles that won’t relax. While the trigger point itself may be small, it can cause soreness and pain throughout the affected muscle.
Trigger point pain can also move to other areas; for example, a trigger point in your neck might cause referred pain in your shoulder.
Generally, trigger points occur due to a muscle injury or repetitive microtrauma over a long time. Some people with fibromyalgia experience trigger points in multiple parts of the body, and they’re also common in people with migraines and tension headaches.
For this procedure, the team starts by feeling the trigger point with their fingers and pinching it to keep it stable. Next, they place a slim needle into the trigger point and partially withdraw it repeatedly. This process causes the muscle to twitch.
After the muscle stops twitching, it usually relaxes, and that’s the ideal time to inject medication — usually a small amount of anesthetics, steroids, or other substances — directly into the trigger point. The injections essentially disrupt the pain cycle and relieve your pain.
Trigger point injections are an outpatient procedure at Pain Consultants of Atlanta.
The Pain Consultants of Atlanta team may recommend trigger point injections if you have chronic trigger point pain that doesn’t improve with treatments such as:
Chronic trigger point pain can be debilitating, and the team understands you need pain relief. They perform trigger point injections in muscles in the neck, arms, lower back, and legs, with other areas considered on a case-by-case basis.
Trigger point injections usually start working within 24-72 hours, but some patients experience almost instant relief. After your trigger point injection, you can apply ice to help manage discomfort. Avoid using heat for a day or two, until recommended by the team.
Trigger point injections can provide excellent pain relief if you’re trapped in a miserable cycle of pain. At Pain Consultants of Atlanta, the team puts patients before profits. They always focus on guiding you to relief in the way that works best for you, so don’t hesitate to call the office nearest you or request an appointment online today.