Delaware Back Pain & Sports Rehabilitation Centers

  • Call Call
  • Contact Contact
  • Our Locations Our Locations
  • Testimonials
  • News & Announcements News & Announcements
  • YouTube

  • COVID-19
  • Telemedicine
  • Pay Bill
  • Patient Survey
  • Request an Appointment

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Legal Concierge
    • Careers
  • Providers
    • Medical
      • Barry L. Bakst DO
      • Stephen Beneck MD
      • Arnold Glassman DO
      • Anne C. Mack MD
      • Jeffrey S. Meyers MD
      • Rachael Smith DO
      • Craig Sternberg MD
      • Kartik Swaminathan MD
      • Pramod Yadhati MD
      • Irene Fisher PsyD
    • Chiropractic
      • Brian Baar D.C.
      • Kristi Dillon D.C.
      • Mark Farthing D.C.
      • Marjorie Mackenzie D.C.
      • Adam Maday D.C.
      • Hetal Patel D.C.
      • Michael Sharkey, D.C.
      • Riley Tuininga, D.C.
  • Specialties
    • Chiropractic Care
    • EMG/NCS
    • Rehabilitation Therapy
    • Sports Medicine
    • Pain Management Counseling
    • Accident & Injury
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • DOT - CDL Medical Exams
    • Wellness
    • Closed Head Injuries
  • Treatments & Procedures
    • Advanced Non-Surgical Treatments
      • Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
      • Prolotherapy
      • Laser Therapy
      • Graston Technique
      • Anti-Gravity Treadmill
      • Myofascial Release
      • 3D Active Traction
      • Ultrasound-Guided Injections
    • Interventional Procedures
      • Interventional Pain Management
  • Patient Forms
  • Testimonials
  • Our Blog
    • Call Call
    • Contact Contact
    • Our Locations Our Locations
    • Testimonials
    • News & Announcements News & Announcements
    • YouTube
    • Patient Survey
  • Watch Video
  • Read Article

Trigger Points & Trigger Point Injections

Click the white PLAY button to start video.

 

A trigger point is a small area in a muscle that is very sensitive to touch or pressure.  It can be extremely painful.  Injury, overexertion, muscle tension, and muscle spasms are common causes of trigger points.  They most frequently occur in the neck, back, and shoulders.  Trigger point injections relax the muscle and relieve pain by placing medications in the trigger point. 

 

Read more about Trigger Points & Trigger Point Injections

  • Introduction
  • Anatomy
  • Causes
  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
  • Introduction
  • Anatomy
  • Causes
  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment

Introduction

A trigger point is a small area in a muscle that is very sensitive to touch or pressure.  It can be extremely painful.  Injury, overexertion, muscle tension, and muscle spasms are common causes of trigger points.  They most frequently occur in the neck, back, and shoulders.  Trigger point injections relax the muscle and relieve pain by placing medications in the trigger point. 

 

Back to top

Anatomy

Your muscles contract and relax whenever you move.  If a muscle does not relax completely, a very tight band of muscle fibers can spasm and form  a trigger point.
Back to top

Causes

Traumatic injury, overexertion, muscle tension, muscle spasms, pinched nerves, and hormonal deficiencies are common causes of trigger points.
Back to top

Symptoms

A trigger point can cause extreme pain. It may feel tender, hard, or twitch when you touch it. In some cases, a trigger point can irritate surrounding nerves causing pain to spread to nearby areas (referred pain).  Your pain may limit your ability to move comfortably.
Back to top

Diagnosis

You should tell your doctor about your symptoms and any activities, injury, or conditions that you suspect may have contributed to your problem.  Your doctor will examine you by carefully feeling the muscle area.  The muscle may be gently pressed to identify  areas of referred pain. 
Back to top

Treatment

Therapeutic modalities, such as ultrasound and manipulative therapy, can be beneficial for some people.  However, trigger point injections are considered the most effective way to inactivate a trigger point for prompt symptom relief.  The injected medication usually consists of an anesthetic to relax the area and relieve pain.  A steroid medication is sometimes included in the injection.

Trigger point injections can be administered at a doctor’s office.  The treatment time is short, usually lasting several minutes. You may receive a nerve block or local anesthetic prior to your trigger point injection to prevent pain.  To deliver the trigger point injection, your doctor will insert a small needle into the trigger point and inject the medication. 

You  will be provided with instructions to reduce initial pain and swelling at the treatment site.  Trigger point injections are usually followed by physical therapy  aimed at pain relief and muscle stretching.  In some cases, trigger point injections may be repeated.
Back to top

Copyright ©  - iHealthSpot Interactive - www.iHealthSpot.com

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

The iHealthSpot patient education library was written collaboratively by the iHealthSpot editorial team which includes Senior Medical Authors Dr. Mary Car-Blanchard, OTD/OTR/L and Valerie K. Clark, and the following editorial advisors: Steve Meadows, MD, Ernie F. Soto, DDS, Ronald J. Glatzer, MD, Jonathan Rosenberg, MD, Christopher M. Nolte, MD, David Applebaum, MD, Jonathan M. Tarrash, MD, and Paula Soto, RN/BSN. This content complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The library commenced development on September 1, 2005 with the latest update/addition on February 16, 2022. For information on iHealthSpot’s other services including medical website design, visit www.iHealthSpot.com.

Footer

Patient Education

Our patient education library features more than 200 award-winning articles with images, videos, and tons of helpful information.

LEARN MORE

Foulk Road
2006 Foulk Road, Suite B
Wilmington, DE 19810
Phone: (302) 529-8783
Fax: (302) 529-7470

Middletown
124 Sleepy Hollow Drive, Suite 204
Middletown, DE 19709
Phone: (302) 376-8080
Fax: (302) 378-1684

Riverside
700 Lea Blvd., Suite 102
Wilmington, DE 19802
Phone: (302) 764-2615
Fax: (302) 762-4076

Smyrna
29 N. East Street
Smyrna, DE 19977
Phone: (302) 389-2225
Fax: (302) 389-1003

Omega
87 Omega Drive, Building B
Newark, DE 19713
Phone: (302) 733-0980
Fax: (302) 733-7495

Dover
1006 College Road, Suite 201
Dover, DE 19904
Phone: (302) 730-8848
Fax: (302) 730-8846

Glasgow
2600 Glasgow Avenue, Suite 210
Newark, DE 19702
Phone: (302) 832-8894
Fax: (302) 832-8897

Milford Office (Air Park Plaza)
915 North DuPont Blvd, Suite 104
Milford, DE 19963
Phone: (302) 491-4487
Fax: (302) 491-4635

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT

EMPLOYEE LOGIN

iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

Home | HIPAA Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement | Sitemap
Copyright © Delaware Back Pain and Sports Rehabilitation Centers. All Rights Reserved.

Staffed by certified physiatrists, chiropractors, psychologists, and therapeutic rehabilitation specialists, we provide pain relief for many types of bone, joint, nerve conditions. Our interventional pain management specialists (PM&R) treat closed head injuries, stroke, concussion, whiplash, dizziness, headaches, sciatica, disc problems, back & neck pain, joint stiffness, sleep apnea, muscle spasm, fibromyalgia, arthritis, neuritis, bursitis, and more.  We also treat job related injuries and injury from auto accident, sports or a fall at home.  As experts in Pain Medicine, our doctors provide surgical and non-surgical solutions including trigger point injections, epidural injections, nerve block, spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal spinal pump implant, PRP therapy, Graston® technique, Prolotherapy and more.  Serving Wilmington, Newark, Middletown, Smyrna, and Dover, Delaware.