Trigger Point Injections
Pain that keeps you from living your life
Trigger points are hyperirritable spots within taut muscle bands that cause local and referred pain — often far from the injection site. When manual therapy and massage are insufficient to fully resolve persistent trigger points, direct injection provides targeted relief by disrupting the dysfunctional neuromuscular activity maintaining the knot.
How it works
Your provider identifies the trigger point by palpation — feeling for the taut band and the specific spot that reproduces your pain pattern. A fine needle is inserted directly into the trigger point, mechanically disrupting the abnormal contraction. A small amount of therapeutic solution may be injected to further calm the surrounding tissue. The muscle twitch response confirms accurate placement. Relief is often felt within 24–48 hours.
Who is it for?
Persistent muscle knots unresponsive to manual therapy; myofascial pain syndrome; tension headaches from cervical trigger points; shoulder, upper back, or neck pain with referred symptoms; acute muscle spasm.
Who is it not for?
Anticoagulant therapy (discuss with provider); active infection in treatment area; allergy to injection solution components; bleeding disorders.
Session Time
15–30 min
Down Time
Mild soreness 24–48 hrs (normal and expected)
Results?
24–48 hrs
Peak Results
3–5 days post-injection
How long does it last?
Weeks to months; best maintained with manual therapy
How many sessions?
1–3 per trigger point area as needed
Build Your Protocol
Your body has more than one concern. Your protocol should too.
Is trigger point injection the same as a steroid shot?
Not necessarily. Trigger point injections use a variety of solutions — saline, local anesthetic, or other therapeutic agents — depending on the clinical situation. They are not routinely cortisone-based. We select the appropriate solution for your specific condition.
Will it hurt?
You may feel a brief sharp sensation and a muscle twitch when the needle enters the trigger point — this is the target response. The discomfort is brief. Post-injection soreness lasting 24–48 hours is normal and expected as the muscle releases.
How is this different from dry needling?
Dry needling uses an acupuncture needle with no injection — the mechanical disruption of the needle alone is the treatment. Trigger point injections add a therapeutic solution to the mechanical effect. Both are valid approaches; the choice depends on your clinical presentation and response.