Trigger points are localized areas of muscle spasm and inflammation. While they can occur in various regions of the body, common sites are the upper and lower back, neck, head and shoulder areas.
The anesthetic medication injected during a trigger point injection blocks pain receptors in the nerves surrounding the muscle. This helps reduce the transmission of pain signals to the brain. The antiinflammatory medication helps reduce swelling of the tissue surrounding the nerve. This can also help decrease pain. Depending on the circumstances, some patients receive optimal pain relief with a series of injections scheduled several weeks apart.
