Had my first (of three) appointments for trigger point injection today. It’s being done as a complement to “regular” physical therapy (which starts next Friday so I don’t know yet what stretches and exercises they’ll be having me do).
I have a 10 year old chronic pain problem in my right hip that my doctor thinks is caused by femoral nerve compression and/or lateral femoral cutaneous nerve compression. I know “thinks” is kind of vague but it’s more concrete than previous doctors whose attitude seemed to be “meh, maybe arthritis? take some ibuprofen” My current GP took me seriously when I complained about the hip problem and sent me to a physiatrist who at least has an idea to try. (I checked her credentials - Harvard Medical School - I’m a snob )
The doctor injected three locations in my right buttock/hip area. The first two were weird beyond anything I’d ever felt before. The needle itself hurt a bit until the lidocaine kicked in but not too bad. What was weird was the little muscle spasms the needles caused. Yes, I know that’s part of the goal, but to feel a muscle that you’ve never deliberately moved independently of its neighbors have a little convulsion is just ODD and kind of unpleasant. The third injection hurt like a mofo. Which shouldn’t really surprise me because it is the area that is very tender to the touch. And it caused a weird electrical fire to spread down the front of my leg to my knee.
Spent the rest of the morning with a dull ache in my leg while sitting and a slow throb while standing, and now, about 12 hours later, it feels pretty good. Getting a few surface twinges from time to time but nothing much in the way of pain. The handout said it might feel sore like an overworked muscle tomorrow.
My husband has had those a couple of times, but in his neck, and he didn’t have those sensations. That doesn’t mean the sensations are good or bad, just that people are different.
I hope they give you some relief. Back and spine problems are horrible.
Sounds like your new physiatrist hit the mark pretty well.
I’ve had anything from “Ehhh, as long as it’s on this side of the body, the lidocaine will eventually find the spot” to “Let me know when…” YAHHHH!!! “Alrighty then, looks like we found it”
I have had these in my right hip. The doctor I see isn’t quite sure what the problem is because there’s so much possible in the area. I had the YOWCH! response to one of the injections, too, and it did help.
I also get trigger point injections in my head, neck, and shoulders to help with muscle tightness from chronic migraine. Getting that combo of steroid and lidocaine in your temple is…interesting. Luckily, my doctor is really fast and good at talking while he does it, so you don’t think, “Wow, he’s just stuck me in the head with a needle ten times!”
I get about 14 trigger point injections in my neck and upper shoulder area due to failed Neck .surgery Syndrome. I love them, usually day two is when the relief really kicks in.
Sounds like injections I’ve had around nerve roots being compressed by a ruptured disk in my lumbar spine and by bony growths in my neck. Yeah, it’s quite weird. Especially on my leg with the lower back thing. It suddenly felt like they poured cool oil into my leg, which filled it starting at the hip and progressing down to my toe over maybe 4 seconds.
I spent my whole life feeling my body from the inside and believing it was just that straightforward. Then, somebody monkeys with the wiring, and it turns out the whole thing was a sham!
)