Patient Information
Pain Service
Trigger Point Injections
What is a trigger point?
A trigger point is a tender point in a muscle which when pressed causes pain.
In its active state, a normal muscle is supposed to contract and relax. A trigger point
is formed when the muscle fails to relax and a knot or tight ropey band of muscle is
formed.
The trigger point can trap or irritate the surrounding nerves and cause pain to be felt
in another part of the body.
What is a trigger point injection?
A trigger point injection is an injection of local anaesthetic and steroid into a trigger
point.
Before the procedure
• You will have treatment as an outpatient at the Ely Day Surgery Unit,
Addenbrookes Pain Clinic or the Addenbrookes Treatment Centre (ATC).
This will be confirmed beforehand at your clinic appointment.
• You will have a morning or an afternoon appointment.
• Your stay may be between two to four hours. Before any treatment begins you
will be asked to provide assurance that someone is able to drive you home.
• You will be asked to change into a theatre gown and your blood pressure and
pulse will be recorded. Your doctor will then discuss the procedure with you and
ask you to sign a consent form.
The procedure
This information leaflet is to be read in conjunction with the leaflet titled
‘Advice to be read before your Pain Clinic injection treatment’.
• In the treatment room, you may have a small needle (cannula) placed in the
back of your hand. This allows the doctor to give you sedation if necessary.
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Patient Information
• Once you are lying in the correct position, the doctor will clean the area where
you have painful muscle trigger points with an antiseptic solution which can feel
very cold.
• The doctor will then lightly press on the area of painful muscle to identify
where the specific trigger points are.
• Local anaesthetic and steroid is then injected into these trigger points which
may briefly cause some discomfort but the area will soon go numb.
After the injection
• You will be taken to the recovery area where the nursing staff will observe you.
• You may feel a little drowsy and wish to sleep.
• You will remain lying down for 30 minutes and then be assisted to sit up. We
will offer you some light refreshment.
• Your blood pressure and pulse will be checked frequently.
• Before you leave, the doctor will see you again and ask a few questions about
your pain and any effects that the injection may have had.
Please ensure that you have arranged for someone to drive you home after
this procedure. Failure to do so will result in your procedure being cancelled.
If you have had sedation, we recommend that you arrange for someone to
stay with you overnight and that you do not drive for 24 hours.
Possible side effects/risks
• Unfortunately, no procedure is risk free.
• Although long term side effects and complications are uncommon, they can
occur.
• Infection is a theoretical risk but very rare.
• In some cases where a muscle near the ribcage is injected there is a risk for
puncturing the lung but again this is very rare.
• You may have mild local tenderness and bruising at the site of the injection(s),
which will usually settle over the next few days.
What to expect afterwards
• Some rapid relief of your pain may be noticed due to the local anaesthetic. It
could take several days before the steroid becomes effective.
• Take your regular pain killers as normal.
• If this injection relieves your pain please remember that it is not a cure. Do
not do strenuous activities immediately, but build up your activity level slowly.
• Simple activities like a daily walk or swimming will help to improve your muscle
tone. The best way is to increase your activity slowly.
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Follow up
A letter will be sent to your GP about your injection. You will receive an appointment
for a telephone consultation with one of the Pain Clinic nurses. This telephone
appointment will take place approximately 4 weeks after your injection.
Points to remember
• Please bring your glasses if you need them for reading.
• Always bring a list of all current medications.
• Continue taking all your usual medication on treatment day, unless you have
been contacted and advised otherwise.
• If there is any possibility you may be pregnant please inform the doctor or
nurse.
Additional information
The information in this leaflet is not intended to replace your doctor’s advice. If you
require more information or have any questions please contact the Pain Clinic. (The
number below is generally manned 0800 hrs – 1700 hrs Monday to Friday; there is an
answer machine out of hours, please leave a message and we will return your call).
Telephone number: 01223 217796
We are currently working towards a smoke free site. Smoking is only permitted
in the designated smoking areas.
For advice and support in quitting, contact your GP or the free NHS stop
smoking helpline on 0800 169 0 169
Help with this leaflet:
If you would like this information in another language, large
print or audio format, please ask the department to contact
Patient Information: 01223 216032 or
[email protected]Document history
Authors Pain Service
Department Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road,
Cambridge, CB2 0QQ www.cuh.org.uk
Contact number 01223 217796
Publish/Review date August 2010/August 2013 (minor amendment made September 2011)
File name Trigger_point_injections
Version number/Ref 2/PIN2215
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