Finding Fibromyalgia Relief - Trigger Point Injections
Is it possible to find fibromyalgia relief? Yes - in a variety of ways. Doctors who understand the condition use a variety of drug and other therapies in an integrated approach designed to provide patients with the relief they need to continue with their daily activities.
One of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia is the presence of mild to severe muscle pain. This muscle pain is caused by tender areas that occur throughout the body. In a healthy body the muscles contract and relax when active. Trigger points are tight, ropy bands of muscle that form when the muscle fails to relax. You can often feel the knots under the skin and the muscle might twitch when touched. Often treating these tense muscles can provide fibromyalgia relief.
The presence of trigger points can cause nerves to become trapped causing pain or other symptoms to be referred to other areas in the body. Over time, scar tissue, loss of range of motion and weakness may result. To ease these troubling symptoms trigger point injections are often used for fibromyalgia relief. They are usually used when other treatments have been unsuccessful. They are typically used on the muscle groups in the arms, legs, lower back and neck.
Who can administer trigger point injections? Trigger point injections can be given by an orthopedist, physiatrist, pain specialist, or neurologist. The procedure can take up to thirty minutes and you may be given a nerve block to prevent the pain from the needle itself. The needle is inserted into a trigger point and a local anesthetic like lidocaine or procaine with or without a corticosteroid is injected for fibromyalgia relief.
This causes the trigger point to become inactive and the pain in the muscle is relieved. Patients usually need only a brief course of treatment to obtain fibromyalgia relief that lasts for a while. There may be some twitching in the muscles or pain that lasts a few seconds to minutes after tratment.
Are there any side effects to this form of fibromyalgia relief? You may feel numb for an hour or so and you may have some minor bruising. If you do experience any pain you can use moist heat and ice alternately at the site of the injection. Patients are typically advised to do stretching exercises and physical therapy after a series of trigger point injections. If any swelling or redness occurs at the site of the injections consult your doctor.
