Muscle cramps are a common problem for many of us — in fact, it’s a good bet that most of us will have a muscle cramp at some point during our lives. In most cases, cramps are temporary, resolving within a few minutes or so.
Sometimes, though, cramps continue or recur, essentially “locking up” muscles and creating focused areas of tight muscle tissue or muscle “knots.” Also called trigger points, these knots can be sources of chronic pain and tenderness, restricting activity in addition to causing considerable discomfort.
At Powell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Thomas E. Powell, MD, and his team offer nonsurgical therapies for muscle knots, including trigger point injections designed to relieve spasms and improve comfort. If painful muscle knots are taking a toll on your activity, sleep, or quality of life, here’s how these injections could help you.
Lots of issues can cause trigger point formation, including muscle strain and overuse injuries, poor posture, and traumatic injuries that alter the way you use your muscles — for instance, an injury that causes a limp or changes the way you use your limbs. These changes can put unusual strain on compensating muscles, leading to cramps and trigger points.
Trigger points are associated with areas of inflammation within the muscle tissue. Inflammation interferes with normal muscle movement, and over time, the muscle fibers wind up “sticking” together, forming hard, painful knots you can often feel below your skin.
Trigger points are especially common in your upper back and neck, particularly if you spend a lot of time hunched over a laptop or phone. Chronic stress can cause trigger points in these areas, too.
In addition to localized pain and tenderness, trigger points can cause discomfort in other areas that depend on that muscle for movement. For example, trigger points in your upper back or shoulders can lead to tension headaches or pain in your shoulders or arms.
Trigger point injections typically use a combination of medications designed to relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the muscle fibers. These injections are administered directly to the trigger point tissue.
Performed on an outpatient basis, each injection takes just a few moments. If you have multiple trigger points, you can have them all treated during a single office visit.
Once injected, the pain-relieving anesthetic medication provides instant relief by numbing the knotted tissue. The anti-inflammatory medicine addresses underlying swelling for long-term pain relief. Plus, the injection itself helps by stimulating blood flow to the area, helping heal inflamed muscle tissue.
There’s no downtime after trigger point injections, but as with any injection, it’s common to have some minor temporary swelling and soreness near the injection site. You can use an over-the-counter pain reliever or apply ice as needed to provide relief.
Trigger point injections are often used in combination with other therapies, like physical therapy, helping relax muscles so therapy is more effective. Plus, injections can be repeated if needed to provide ongoing relief.
Muscle spasms can interfere with daily activities and even make it hard to get a good night’s sleep, in addition to leading to widespread discomfort and chronic headaches. If you have tender trigger points, these injections could be the solution you’ve been looking for.
To learn more, call 205-606-5232 or request an appointment online with Powell Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, today.
