Myofascial pain is relatively common and can occur in any skeletal muscle, but it usually affects the back, neck, and shoulders. The discomfort can range from a constant throbbing ache to a painful tightness that feels like you’re caught in a vice.
Pain management specialist John S. Michels, MD, delivers expert care to communities in and around Dallas, Texas. He is well-known for his commonsense, compassionate approach to solving chronic pain.
Read why Dr. Michels favors trigger point injections for myofascial pain and what you can expect afterward.
Myofascial pain affects muscles and the stretchy connective tissue (fascia) surrounding them. Trigger points are small palpable areas of knotted or tightly contracted tissue that lead to myofascial pain.
It’s not always clear what causes trigger points, but inflammation linked to poor posture, traumatic injury, overuse, or strain are likely culprits. Stress and anxiety also appear to cause or worsen myofascial pain, perhaps due to muscle tightness related to worry and other uncomfortable emotions.
Symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome can include:
Along with trigger point injections, Dr. Michels may recommend a combination of conservative therapies for myofascial pain, including physical therapy, massage, and stretching.
He may also recommend changes in your posture, exercise routine, sports training techniques, or work habits to prevent overuse injuries that can exacerbate myofascial pain.
Trigger point injections, delivered directly into the tender lump, help relax the knotted muscle tissue and deactivate the trigger point.
During this quick, in-office procedure, Dr. Michels injects a substance containing a local anesthetic like lidocaine to relieve pain. He then manipulates the needle in and out of the trigger point to break up scar tissue and facilitate the relaxation of the muscle. Patients will often feel a “twitching” of the muscle as the trigger point releases and the muscle relaxes.
Sometimes, a corticosteroid is injected into the trigger point as well, in order to decrease inflammation in the trigger point and surrounding tissues. For chronic trigger points, a corticosteroid may provide longer-lasting relief than a local anesthetic's temporary numbing effect.
You may experience mild discomfort during the injection, but the procedure is usually well-tolerated, and pain relief is typically very rapid.
Additionally, trigger point injections help break the pain cycle, potentially enhancing results from massage, physical therapy, and other conservative therapies used to treat myofascial pain syndrome.
You don’t have to live with pain. Schedule a visit with Dr. Michels today for nonsurgical solutions customized to meet your needs.
