Trigger Point Injections
Have you ever felt like tight and achy muscles in your neck and upper back were the cause of your migraine or headache? Have you ever just wished that those muscles could be relaxed, but no matter what you do can’t seem to get them to let go? This is a common feeling for patients who have trigger points in their muscles. Dr. Smitherman is an expert in the diagnosis, and treatment of trigger points related to migraines and headaches. Dr. Smitherman has treated many patients with trigger point injections with successful migraine and headache relief.
What are Trigger Points?
Trigger points are in common terms knots in muscles that can cause pain and tightness. Trigger points develop from muscle overuse, stress, poor posture, and injuries. Trigger points can become chronic, and cause significant pain and dysfunction.
How do Trigger points cause headaches and migraines?
Trigger points can cause a phenomenon called referred pain. The trigger points in your traps, neck muscles, upper back muscles, jaw muscles, and temple muscles can all shoot pain to a large region over your head. Pain from trigger points can show up in your temples, stabbing pain into the eye, on top of the head, across the forehead, and in the back of the head. Trigger points are a very common cause or contributing factor for headaches and migraines.
What are Trigger Point Injections?
Trigger point injections involve a quick, and safe procedure where Dr. Smitherman delivers pain relief medications into tight, painful muscles with trigger points. The medications injected can include lidocaine anesthetic, corticosteroids, saline, and/or 5% sugar solution. These powerful injections can relax muscles and reduce migraine and headache pain from the trigger points within seconds. Dr. Smitherman has trained and practiced for years to make this procedure quick, minimally painful, and effective!
Can I do Trigger Point Injections with my other treatments?
Yes. Dr. Smitherman uses trigger point injections as part of a comprehensive headache and migraine treatment plan. Trigger point injections can be used along with the sphenopalatine ganglion block, pharmaceutical medications, nutrition, stress reduction techniques, nutrient supplementation, massage, chiropractic, physical therapy, and botanical medicine.
Does Insurance cover Trigger Point Injections?
Almost all insurance plans cover trigger point injections. The codes insurance uses to bill for trigger point injections are 20552 and 20553. You can call your insurance to verify the coverage in your plan.
If you think you could benefit from working with Dr. Smitherman please book a free 15 minute consultation or appointment online.