What Are Trigger Points?

Trigger points are sensitive points on the body that trigger pain, impede motion, and increase stiffness of muscles. They are just like tight bands or knots in the soft tissue beneath the skin. There are two types of trigger points:

• Active – When you press down on these points, you will feel pain in that area only.

• Latent – These points not only cause pain in the area where pressure is being exerted, but in other parts of the body as well. For example, a trigger point in the shoulders could lead to a painful back.

What Are Trigger Point Injections?

These injections soothe stiffness and provide pain relief caused by trigger points. The injection contains either anesthetics or corticosteroids and are injected directly into each trigger point, which allow muscles to lengthen and relax by “shutting down” those areas. Injections can be administered after the trigger point is located manually by massaging the skin. Although a trained physician can identify these areas, it could be tough to find out the exact point at times. This is where Needle EMG-Guided injections are a better option since they use guided imagery and massage to isolate trigger points. A monitor records the images relayed by the needle inserted into the trigger point, to give a more accurate administration.

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