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Trigger Point/Joint Injections

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What Happens During a Trigger Point Injection?

In the TPI procedure, a health care professional inserts a very small needle into the patient's trigger point. The injection contains a local anesthetic or saline, and may include a corticosteroid, a pain reliever and/or a natural anti-inflammatory. With the injection, the trigger point  is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. Often, a brief course of treatment will result in sustained relief. Injections are given in our office and usually take just a few minutes. Several sites may be injected in one visit.

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When is Trigger Point Injection Used?

TPI is is used to treat many muscle groups, especially those in the arms, legs, lower back, and neck. In addition, TPI can be used to treat fibromyalgia and tension headaches. The technique is also used to alleviate myofascial pain syndrome (chronic pain involving tissue that surrounds muscle) that does not respond to other treatments. However, the effectiveness of TPI for treating myofascial pain is still under study.

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Trigger point injection (TPI) may be an option for treating pain in some patients. TPI is a procedure used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form when muscles do not relax. Many times, such knots can be felt under the skin. Trigger points may irritate the nerves around them and cause referred pain, or pain that is felt in another part of the body.

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