Is Myofascial Pain Making You Miserable? Try Trigger Point Injections

Your body relies on its fascia to hold your muscles together as you move throughout your day. This thin layer surrounds each muscle, enabling them to glide smoothly against one another. It’s an essential component of your body.

But like pretty much any other part of you, your fascia can run into trouble. This can lead to muscle pain that can range from a persistent dull ache to a sudden flare-up of discomfort. Fortunately, Dr. Halina Snowball can help. At Integrated Pain Solutions in Stamford, Connecticut, she offers trigger point injections that target the root cause of your myofascial pain.

If you want to better understand myofascial pain and how to get relief, you’ve come to the right place. 

Understanding myofascial pain syndrome

Myofascial pain develops when there’s a problem with the fascia surrounding your muscles. It most commonly affects the muscles in your neck, shoulder, and upper back. It develops because of a trigger point, usually in the area. 

A trigger point is a tight knot of muscles. You might even be able to feel it under your skin, and it may feel tender when you press on it. The tension in those muscles — and the impact on the surrounding fascia — can cause:

• Localized or radiating muscle pain
• Muscle weakness
• A limited range of motion
• Headaches
• Sleep problems

Here at Integrated Pain Solutions, Dr. Snowball talks with you about your symptoms. She can help you determine if your muscle discomfort comes from myofascial issues or something else. 

If you’re living with myofascial pain syndrome, Dr. Snowball generally recommends trigger point injections.

Targeting your trigger point

Remember that muscle knot that’s causing your myofascial pain? Dr. Snowball has a way to essentially force it to release using trigger point injections. With this injection, she can apply medication directly to your trigger point. 

Dr. Snowball tailors what’s in your injection based on what your knot needs, but it’s usually some combination of pain-alleviating substance (like corticosteroid or botulinum toxin) and localized anesthetic. The latter helps to keep you comfortable during the injection. You’ll feel a pinch right as the needle goes in, but the anesthetic goes to work right away to numb the area. 

To ensure you’re getting your treatment right where you need it, Dr. Snowball first stretches your muscle to pinpoint the trigger point. 

You may feel sore at the injection site for a day or two, but you should then get relief from your myofascial pain. 

You’re not stuck with your discomfort. Call our office at 203-293-0549 or request an appointment online today to explore trigger point injections for myofascial pain syndrome.