Trigger Point Injection Studio City
Chronic musculoskeletal conditions are relatively common in the United States, affecting about 10% of all Americans, or roughly 23 million people. One of the most common of these conditions is myofascial pain syndrome, a muscle disorder caused by myofascial trigger points. At ProHealth Physical Medicine in Studio City, California, our team provide trigger point injection therapy to patients from communities across the greater Los Angeles area.
Prescription muscle relaxers are the traditional route for treating myofascial trigger point pain, but they cannot provide targeted relief, and that relief comes with the risk of side effects. By contrast, trigger point injections are a safe, natural, and effective solution that addresses the immediate problem.
Trigger Point Injections Q & A
Myofascial trigger points are palpable nodules in the taut bands of the skeletal muscles’ fascia. Trigger points can often develop from overuse, poor posture, insufficient physical activity or a long-term lack of activity, sleep disorders, and nutritional deficiencies. They also often form in response to acute muscle trauma or a series of repeated traumas.
Active trigger points can cause a substantial amount of discomfort that patients often describe as a persistent, regional pain that spreads or radiates. Trigger points may be tender to the touch or my feel like a hard knot under the skin. They may cause referred pain, a type of pain that’s felt somewhere far from the trigger point itself.
Trigger point pain may be localized to start with, but it can cause disfunction in nearby areas, increasing your discomfort and further limiting your body’s functionality and range of motion. When trigger point knots stud myofascial tissue, the muscle becomes weaker, forcing nearby muscles to compensate.
When this type of radiating pain, muscle weakness, and over-compensation affects your neck, shoulders, lower back, or pelvic region, it can be difficult to maintain correct posture. Chronic poor posture can throw your spine out of alignment and give rise to a multitude of issues, including persistent back pain, sciatica, neck pain, jaw pain, and tension headaches.
Prescription muscle relaxers may be the traditional route for treating myofascial trigger point pain, but they only provide temporary relief, and that relief comes with the risk of side effects. By contrast, trigger point injections are a safe, natural, and effective solution that addresses the root of the problem.
Trigger point injection therapy is a quick, in-office procedure that starts with a comprehensive physical examination to establish the precise locations and severity of your trigger points. Although the procedure uses small needles and is relatively painless, your dedicated ProHealth practitioner can administer a small amount of lidocaine to numb the treatment area for sensitive patients. After cleaning the injection site, your caregiver will gently pull your skin taut and inject an anesthetic mixture directly into the trigger point, causing the knot in the myofascial tissue to relax. If the trigger point doesn’t relax completely after one injection, an additional injection — administered from a slightly different angle — may be required.
Trigger point injection therapy provides immediate, long-term pain relief for most patients. After treatment, it’s important to keep your muscles moving by performing the exercises and stretches that your ProHealth Physical Medicine care provider recommends.
Trigger point injection therapy is a quick, in-office procedure that starts with a comprehensive physical examination to establish the precise locations and severity of your trigger points. After cleaning the injection site, your caregiver will gently pull your skin taut and inject an anesthetic mixture directly into the trigger point, causing the knot in the myofascial tissue to relax. You may feel the muscle twitch involuntarily in preparation to relax. If you would prefer, we are able to not use anesthetic or include a naturally derived product instead. The procedure uses small needles and is relatively painless. Your dedicated ProHealth practitioner will target all the trigger points in an area during your visit.
Trigger point injection therapy provides immediate relief for most patients. After treatment, it’s important to keep your muscles moving by performing any exercises and stretches that your ProHealth Physical Medicine care provider recommends.