Muscle injections - risks and benefits?

[WhoRay]

Hi all,

I'm new here. It's great to have come across this board: I'm grateful to you all for having shared your experiences as it's such a valuable resource - although obviously I wish that none of us had need to post here ...

I want to ask if any of you have experience/knowledge of muscle/trigger point injections. I've recently been delivered into the hands of the Pelvic Pain Management Clinic at Queen's Square in London; after an initial consultation, they have offered me the chance to consider "CT guided muscle injections". I've searched the net, including this board, but haven't come upon any reports from those who may have undergone these (which I understand as being a different procedure from nerve blocks - correct me if need be on this), nor any info as to the potential risks.

In case it helps to know, investigations so far have found that I have a sore and hypertonic pelvic floor (easing a little with internal trigger point work as well as daily stretches, relaxation etc), with suspected possible pudendal nerve implications.

Hope you can help! Thanks.

[Mod 15]

There is to be a doctor in New York City that did CT guided trigger point injections, he retired several years ago. Some doctors due piriformis trigger point injections under ultrasound or fluoroscopy to make sure they do not hit the sciatic nerve but some doctors who have been doing trigger point injections for a long time do unguided piriformis injections. The risks would include small doses of radiation from the CT, if they use steriod together with marcaine some individuals can get temporarily worse from the steriod, that doesn't happen often but sometimes does. The benefits include deactivating the trigger point which reduces pain, allows for better blood flow to the area, and better ability to functional. I've been getting trigger points for 6 years about every 8 weeks. Only had one bad reaction with an injection when a student did it.

[WhoRay]

OK, many thanks for that, useful info.

[Bertie]

Just saying hi......I have been seen at NHNN also Dr Baronowski privately abd then Dr Curran NHSS. I decided against the nerve blocks.......my mother also has PN and had a nerve block there and it went disastrously wrong.....just bad luck I think as they are the guys to see in the UK. Have you tried physio Maria Eliot is a PN physio had it herself for two years, she is in Harley Street. Also Helen Keeble in Chiswick, Helen is much cheaper than Maria and is from what I have herd equally as good.

[Violet M]

WhoRay, I can remember one person who posted on this forum (LucySky) who had a long-term worsening of symptoms after trigger point injections (not a nerve block.) Have also heard of people having bad reactions to Botox injections into the muscles. I don't know what kind of medication your docs were considering using for your injections but people do seem to react to injected medications differently. Permanent worsening of symptoms are rare but they can happen and I would not trust anyone who guarantees that you cannot possibly get worse from a procedure. The chances are slim but it is only fair that patients should be warned.

Sometimes trigger point injections are given into the pelvic floor muscles prior to PT so that the therapist can do more intense work on the muscles. Some docs inject an anesthetic into the muscles to see if you are a good candidate for subsequent Botox injections which may provide relief for several months. Those are the advantages to TPI's. I never had them done -- my physician's reasoning was that they only give short-term relief. That's my 2 cents on TPI's.

Violet