Joliet

(815) 439-2726

Naperville

(331) 249-3999

New Lenox

(815) 717-8355

Roselle

(224) 655-6555

Integrated Physical Medicine

Trigger Point Injections (TPI)

Trigger points are painful “knots” in your muscles. These knots form when a muscle can not relax. Sometimes you can feel these knots, or trigger points, when you rub an injured muscle.

Since these trigger points are surrounded by nerves, pain in this area is caused by the irritation of those nerves. However, since your nerves are also connected throughout your body, a trigger point can often cause preferred pain, or pain that is felt in other areas of your body as well. For example a trigger point in your upper trapezius muscle that refers pain into the back of your head region causing a headache.

What Are Trigger Point Injections (TPI)?

A trigger point injection can help soothe muscle pain, especially in your arms, legs, lower back and neck. It also can be used to treat symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, tension headaches and other myofascial pain syndromes. By injecting small amounts of anesthetic and steroid into the trigger point, this regenerative medicine treatment can help alleviate pain, not only in the area directly surrounding the trigger point, but other areas of the body connected by the nerves from that area.  Trigger point injections are often part of a plan that includes other treatments, such as muscle stretching and strengthening.  Injection procedures in our office are performed by our skilled license nurse practitioners.

What Happens During a Trigger Point Injection?

We first locate your trigger point in a TPI procedure by gently pressing around the painful area. This may cause your muscle to briefly hurt or twitch. However, this step helps locate the exact spot to do the injection. The area is cleaned. Then, our licensed nurse practitioner will insert a small needle into the area. With the injection, the trigger point is made inactive and the pain is alleviated. Often, simply a brief course of treatment will result in sustained relief. If you have more than one trigger point in the muscle, your provider may repeat the process.

What Is The Duration Of The Procedure?

The procedure takes about 10 to 30 minutes. How long it takes depends on how many trigger points are treated. The injections are given in our clinics and, depending on the patient's need, several sites may be injected in one visit, but the injection itself takes only a few moments.

After a trigger point injection, you can actively use the muscle. However, you should avoid strenuous activity for the first few days. Your doctor may stretch the area to help the muscle relax. At IPM, we like to show our patients how to correctly move and stretch the muscles themselves.

What Are The Risks?

The risk of a complication from a trigger point injection is very low. Complications such as bleeding and infection at the injection site are uncommon. However, you may have temporary soreness or numbness at the injection site.  This may last for a few hours to a day or so.

Is Trigger Point Injection Right For You?

Trigger point injection may be right for you if your muscle pain has not improved with other treatment, including pain medication and physical therapy.


To learn more, call us or book a consultation online today.

New Lenox

(815) 717-8355


Kelly Drudi, MSN, APN-BC

Kelly is a board-certified nurse practitioner with full practice authority in the state of Illinois. She received her BSN in 1999 from St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in Peoria, IL. Then received her APN from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL in 2011. Kelly is board-certified though American Nurses Credentialing Center as Adult Nurse Practitioner.

As a nurse practitioner, she is able to compliment IPM's physical therapy and chiropractic work through internal medicine, primary care and telemedicine. Kelly enjoys helping patients to improve their well-being and quality of life, including the offerings and advancements in the field of regenerative medicine.

When it comes time to start your specific treatment care plan, the doctors at IPM have a number of different services to offer, each with their own individual techniques tailored to fit your specific body, pain and goals for recovery.

Chiropractic Techniques | Physical Therapy | Regenerative Medicine | Therapeutic Massage | Body Contouring

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Joliet

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2732 Caton Farm Road
Joliet, IL 60435, United States

Contact Information (815) 439-2726
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Our physicians serve New Lenox, Mokena, Frankfort, Manhattan, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Joliet, Plainfield, Shorewood, Crest Hill, Roselle, Bloomingdale, Schaumburg, Medinah, Hanover Park, Wood Dale, Itasca, and Keeneyville, Naperville, Warrenville, Aurora, Wheaton, Lisle, Eola, Winfield, West Chicago, North Aurora, Batavia and other surrounding cities.