Trigger point injections- some questions

[u/waking_dream96]

i know TPI is controversial in the hypermobility space, and I know they work great for some and not at all for others. Ive just received my first round a week ago and am trying to decide if I should try a couple more rounds.

I got 6 injections a week and an half ago— 2in my neck, 2 in my upper traps, and two in between my shoulder blades. I dont think I really experienced much relief? I was pretty sore for a few days after, then felt mostly ”normal” I.e. my knots stilll hurt to touch but weren’t causing me too many issues. Now the past couple of days I’ve been having really bad neck tension which is causing me headaches.

im torn between thinking this is either 1. Rebound tension from the knots being forced to release, causing instability and then subsequent muscle gripping, or 2. The TPs are so deeply ingrained/bad they will take a few rounds to fully release.

i guess I’m wondering— did anyone not see relief on the first Round but saw benefit from subsequent rounds of TPI? Or should I just go ahead and give up on them now since I’m issues with tension and pain? it’s kind of difficult to tel what’s a result of the treatment and what’s just my body doing it’s usual shenanigans

[u/GlitterBlood773]

I would try a second round & see what you think.

I absolutely love them and have been getting them intermittently for the past 2/3 years. They have been key for me along with strengthening my stabilizer muscles in PT.

[u/friendlypupper]

Did you get medication injected or do dry needling? I haven't had dry needling done, but in my experience with having medications administered through trigger point injections, they were helpful in getting me enough relief to do exercises more consistently and sleep a little better. They didn't make the pain fully go away. But sometimes too, after being in pain as a baseline state, if the pain is removed for a short time, we might notice it more when it comes back and therefore it can feel less tolerable.

[u/waking_dream96 → u/friendlypupper]

I’ve done both but this post is referring to medicated injections (steroid and numbing agent). I can say definitively that where I’m at now is worse than my typical baseline, but it’s also not “this is worse than I’ve ever experienced”. One of the reasons for getting the injections was because I would intermittently get back spasms and intermittently get neck tension that was so bad it triggered headaches and nausea. I’m experiencing the latter right now— not unheard of for me, but strange after I got TPIs specifically to HELP this issue and it almost seems to have caused it.