HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Trigger point injections

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/28/2017 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone! I was hoping people could give me some personal experiences with trigger point injections. I have my first pain management appt on Jan 3rd and I want to ask for them. My PCP and PT both concurred that they are the only option left to knock out muscle spasms in my neck. I have no idea what to expect, and real life experience works better for me than google.
Thanks.

Sarah
Posted 12/29/2017 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sarah, yes I have a lot of experience with trigger point injections. When I first started pain mgt care many years ago, trigger point injections helped keep me working for many years. Other than a little stinging, I had no issues getting them done. I had severe muscles spasms & often the knots were so bad they couldn't get the needle in certain spots. I did them on a regular basis for a long time. My dr injected several areas starting at my neck moving down. Certainly worth trying a couple of times.

Take care.
Posted 12/29/2017 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
I have a bunch of knots in my shoulder, had several trigger point injections a few weeks ago. They helped for a very short time, but no cure!

I can't reach most of the knots with my hands, so my pain doc said get one of those s-shaped massagers with the bumps and GENTLY massage the knots several times a day. It seems to help a little, but I've only gotten started and have had the knots for at least a year, and quite a few of them! Online the massagers are inexpensive. Probably works as well as the shots for me. But I only get to see the doc every 3 months, so I don't know if more shots would be better.

The main thing my pain doc said is DON'T squash the knots. Massage gently and often.
Posted 1/2/2018 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
Trigger points are magic for knots that cause the other muscles to spasm! I couldn’t function without them! Just be sure to ice the area liberally afterwards, it helps so much!

Good luck!
Posted 1/3/2018 1:00 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone! My intake appt is tommorrow. I hope they set up the injections soon. I am now at all day headaches. The super load of baclofen I am on helps with the jaw/shoulder/neck pain but nothing touches the headaches.

Is there a certain medication they inject that helps the best?

Sarah
Posted 1/6/2018 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sarah,

I've been getting trigger point injections for over a year now. If you are having pain in your jaw just an FYI general dentists can do trigger point injections for jaw pain as well.

They inject a small amount of lidocaine but it doesn't do much to numb the pain. If you don't have success with the first round keep trying as sometimes it takes awhile to figure out the pain pattern with the trigger points.

Do some research on Dr. Travell and referred pain to be prepared to tell the Dr. where you think you need the injections- it can be a bit of a guessing game for them otherwise!
Posted 1/7/2018 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
I've been receiving trigger point injections for years, but dry needling has been much more helpful with my headaches. My TMJs were fusing together, so the joints and much of the jaw itself, have been replaced with titanium. The muscles involved with your jaw are incredibly strong, so when they are not happy, you will not be happy sad

One of the most painful areas muscle-wise is right as the base of my skull. HOLY COW does it get painful. With hair, and the uneven level of skin, E-stim or a TENS unit can't be used. With dry needling, the needle goes directly into the knot until it finally gives up and releases, or e-stim is used thru the needle to get the knot to relax. It took weeks, but I finally get relief. The downside of dry needling is that it can be hard to find a PT who is certified. Also, it's totally different than acupuncture.
Posted 1/8/2018 10:43 AM (GMT 0)
Hi! I'm new here. I've been getting trigger point injections as well as the Toradol injection in my lower back area. The trigger point in my neck and shoulders and down to my mid back and low back area. They work great, but after a few days they seem to lose effectiveness, but I do get them every month I go. I Have such bad spasms my entire back especially med and low back is hard as a brick. it's like a brick wall. I take max dose of Flexeril too. My back is a mess, but trigger point injections do help me, I only wished they lasted longer.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply