Injection Therapy-Relief for Stubborn Trigger Points

Acupuncture injection therapy goes by many names, including acupoint injection, aquapuncture, biopuncture, trigger point injection, and wet needling. Various sterile substances are injected just under the skin or into muscles. Injections can be performed at acupuncture points, trigger points, scars, and/or wrinkles to treat a wide range of symptoms and pain. The most commonly used substances are saline, Traumeel® and other homeopathics, vitamin B12, and glucose. If you are interested in the complete list of substances that can be injected in Colorado it can be found here.

Inserting a needle into an acupuncture point will stimulate the point, and injecting a point will stimulate it for longer, enhancing the therapeutic effect. Injections can stimulate your body’s natural healing response and improve circulation, relax muscles, repair tissue, and flush out metabolic wastes. The substance that is injected may have additional effects, for example Traumeel® is thought to inhibit the release of pain and inflammation causing chemicals and glucose stimulates the release of growth factors to repair tissue. Vitamin B12 is used to boost energy and is important in the production of red blood cells. 

Both acute and chronic pain conditions can be treated with injection therapy, however it is especially useful for chronic myofascial conditions that may not have responded to standard treatments. Dr. Janet Travell, a physician who did extensive research on trigger points, found that histological changes such as myogelosis (abnormal hardening), hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and build up of metabolic wastes can occur in trigger points, especially if left untreated (1). Accurately injecting a trigger point can immediately inactivate it, and the local twitch response is often greater as fluids are injected.

Trigger point injections may be used to beneficial effect in treating chronic, nagging pain in the neck, shoulder, low back and hip, or any muscle that is tight and stiff. Active trigger points will commonly result in a specific referred pain pattern, and latent trigger points may not be painful but can cause muscle shortening and decrease in range of motion.

Not everyone is a candidate for injection therapy as it is more intense than regular acupuncture. The hypodermic needles are slightly larger to allow fluids to flow through, and there can be a bit more of a pinching or stinging sensation as the needles pierce the skin. I, personally, have also noticed that I am a little more sore for the next couple of days after getting trigger point injections, but the increased soreness is worth the lasting results.

1. Simons, D. G., Travell, J. G., Simons, L. S., & Cummings, B. D. (1998). Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, Vol. 1 - Upper Half of Body (2nd ed.). Williams & Wilkins.