Injection Therapy

Trigger points are described as a taunt or tightened muscle that causes pain. Sometimes called a “knot,” trigger points can reoccur in the same areas frequently. Some believe trigger points are caused by lack of circulation and oxygen in the affected areas. While the exact cause of trigger points is unknown, incorrect posture, sleeping incorrectly, and stress are believed to be causes of the pain associated with trigger points.

Trigger point injections deactivate trigger points by introducing a saline solution or corticoid steroids in the area. Trigger points can also be treated using a dry needling method. This involves using the same treatment method as trigger point injections, except no medicine is injected into the body. Massage and pressure, as well as acupuncture can also help by increasing nutrient and oxygen flow to the affected muscle.

Arthritis is the number one cause of joint pain in adults over the age of 50. However, there are other causes like sport and workplace injuries, as well as injuries caused by personal accidents. Arthritis can be caused by the repetitive use of a joint or by the normal wear-and-tear associated with aging.

Joint injections can significantly reduce pain and other symptoms associated with joint damage. Joint injections deliver corticoid steroids into the targeted area. This medicine reduces pain, swelling, and inflammation for longer periods of time than traditional oral pain relievers. In fact, a single joint injection treatment can offer relief for 3 to 4 months.  This dramatically reduces the patient’s dependence on daily use of over-the-counter or prescription drugs used for pain relief.

The sacroiliac joint is where the hip bones connect with the sacrum, which is the large bone at the bottom of the spinal column. While it is not a hinge joint or a ball and socket joint, a misalignment or injury in this area can cause sciatica pain, which radiates down the back of the leg. This misalignment can cause symptoms that feel like an electrical shock, pins and needles, or numbness.

Sacroiliac joint injections decrease the inflammation in the area and relieve pressure on nerves. This can dramatically reduce symptoms and offer relief for months at a time.

The facet joint contains cartilage to cushion the bones and has a fluid-filled sac that acts as a shock absorber. Each vertebra in the neck, thorax, and lumbar sections of the spine have a pair of facet joints. If there is an injury in the area, inflammation and pressure on nearby nerves can cause pain.

Inflammation in medial branch nerves in the facet area can cause pain, which can radiate down the nerves to other areas of the body, such as the extremities.

A medial branch block or a facet joint injection, otherwise known as a facet block, is an injection of an anesthetic, steroid, or both into the area affected to decrease inflammation and pressure. These injections can also be used as a diagnostic tool to determine the cause of symptoms.

Knee pain caused from osteoarthritis is the result of cartilage that’s worn away and bones of the knee joint rubbing against each other. Conservative treatments include heat therapy, rest, exercise, and medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). These drugs temporarily decrease inflammation in the joint to decrease symptoms of pain.

When conservative treatments do not work to relieve pain, injections into the joint space of the knee may be useful in decreasing symptoms. Steroids are often used, but hyaluronic acid can also help. Hyaluronic acid is a natural occurring fluid in the sac of the joint space. This sac acts as a shock absorber for the joint. When hyaluronic acid is not sufficiently produced, a synthetic form of it can be injected into the knee for relief. Hyaluronic acid now comes in a gel form, which can quickly and easily be injected into the joint.