Almost everyone experiences muscle pain at some time. Chronic and recurrent muscle pain affects 10 to 20 percent of the US adult population. Untreated muscle (myofascial) pain can become a chronic pain condition. Chronic pain not only causes disability, but can also be responsible for related conditions such as depression, physical deconditioning from lack of exercise, and sleep disturbances.

Healthy muscles do not have symptomatic trigger points. Trigger points may occur in any skeletal muscle and may arise from acute or chronic stress, prolonged period of spasm, tension, or fatigue.

A person with symptomatic trigger points may develop local pain, muscle stiffness, weakness, and numbness. Two types of trigger point injections may be useful: injection with local anesthetic (like Novocaine or Lidocaine) or dry needling injection, performed with acupuncture needles without medication. The goal of injections is the mechanical breaking up of the abnormal tissue that causes pain.

Trigger point injections are very safe. Complications develop in only one in one thousand cases. They include infection, local bleeding, and allergic reactions.

Massage and other manual physical therapy techniques are valuable modalities in the treatment of trigger points, as well as muscle exercise programs, for relaxation of muscles, stretching, and strengthening. Pain-free movement including aerobic exercise is encouraged and can be helpful. An active exercise program is not only a vital part of the treatment program but also helps to prevent recurrences of muscle pain.