Muscle Injections

Tight muscle knots (trigger points) make even slight movements painful. Muscle injections provide lasting pain relief. At All Valley Rehabilitation, Spine and Pain Institute, in Edinburg, Texas, board-certified physiatrist and interventional pain management specialist Nashin Manohar, DO, uses muscle injections to relieve tight muscles in various parts of the body. Call All Valley Rehabilitation, Spine and Pain Institute today to schedule muscle injections, or book your visit online.

My muscles are sore. Should I consider muscle injections?

It depends. Most muscle pain is mild and improves with rest and other conservative treatments. But seeking treatment is necessary if your symptoms last weeks or longer or affect your routine.

Dr. Manohar uses muscle injections to soothe trigger points. Trigger points are tight muscle “knots” that are painful to the touch. They happen because of acute trauma (injuries) and general wear-and-tear.

What parts of the body might benefit from muscle injections?

Dr. Manohar uses muscle injections to treat trigger points in various parts of the body, including:

• Temporalis (muscles on either side of the head)
• Trapezius (a muscle extending over the back of the neck and shoulders)
• Quadratus lumborum (a muscle deep in the lower back)
• Masseter (a muscle in the jaw)
• Levator scapulae (a muscle on the side of the neck)
• Gluteus medius (a muscle in the hip)

Trigger points affect everyone differently; though they often cause mobility problems and inflammation, they can also present other symptoms. For example, a trigger point in your trapezius muscle can cause frequent headaches and/or neck pain.

How do I prepare for muscle injections?

Muscle injections don’t require special preparation. Even so, tell Dr. Manohar about your medications, vitamins, and other supplements. Some drugs interfere with the injection, so Dr. Manohar might recommend adjusting your dosage.

What happens during muscle injections?

At All Valley Rehabilitation, Spine and Pain Institute, muscle injections take 20-30 minutes.

Dr. Manohar asks you to sit or lie on an exam table. He cleans the treatment site with an antiseptic solution, highlighting your trigger point (or points) with a marker.

Dr. Manohar pinches the skin covering the trigger point, carefully inserting a thin needle into the muscle knot. Your muscle might twitch or spasm when the needle makes contact.

After the twitching stops, Dr. Manohar injects a local anesthetic and corticosteroids into the muscle. He then covers the site with a bandage.

If you have several trigger points, Dr. Manohar repeats the same steps using a clean needle each time.

Call All Valley Rehabilitation, Spine and Pain Institute today to schedule muscle injections, or book your appointment online.