When might I need a muscle injection?
The muscle injections The Rehab Doctors’ team provides carefully target the source of pain and alleviate pain caused by muscle spasms, trigger points, and other muscle problems. You may benefit from a muscle injection following a sports injury or if you have a medical condition that leads to painful muscles.
Muscle injections typically contain a local anesthetic and/or a corticosteroid. The anesthetic provides quick but short-lived pain relief, while corticosteroids reduce inflammation and deliver longer-lasting results. The Rehab Doctors’ team also injects Botox® to treat muscle conditions.
Why is Botox used in muscle injections?
Botox, a medical-grade form of botulinum toxin, stops nerves from releasing chemicals that trigger muscle contractions. After a Botox injection, the targeted muscles relax, and your pain diminishes.
The Rehab Doctors may use Botox to treat:
- Muscle spasms
- Twitches
- Tremors
- Spasticity
- Dystonia
- Trigeminal neuralgia
Botox is also a preventive treatment for chronic headaches and migraines. Regular Botox injections significantly reduce the number of monthly headaches you experience.
What is a piriformis muscle injection?
The piriformis muscle is in your buttocks. Piriformis syndrome occurs when the muscle spasms, a problem that’s caused by:
- Overuse injuries
- Muscle irritation
- Muscle tightening
- Swelling due to injuries
- Bleeding near the muscle
Muscles spasms alone can be quite painful, but a piriformis spasm can lead to another painful problem called sciatica.
The sciatic nerve runs from the lower spine through each leg. On its way to your legs, the nerve passes through the buttocks beneath the piriformis muscle.
When the piriformis muscle cramps, it can pinch the nerve. As a result, you develop a shooting pain that travels down your legs.
The Rehab Doctors’ team may relieve the pain by injecting a local anesthetic together with corticosteroids into the piriformis muscle. In some cases, they may also recommend a Botox injection.
What type of muscle injection relieves myofascial pain?
Trigger points cause myofascial pain syndrome. Trigger points are small knots that form in your muscles and fascia, the soft connective tissue surrounding all your muscles and organs.
Trigger points cause intense pain and tenderness at the site of the knotted muscle. When you press the spot, you may also experience pain in other parts of your body or develop muscle twitches.
The Rehab Doctors’ team relieves the pain with a trigger point injection. After injecting an anesthetic and/or steroids, the knot relaxes, and your pain goes away.
No matter what causes your muscle pain, help is available at The Rehab Doctors. Call or book an appointment online today.
