How Can Trigger Point Injections Help With Your Tension Headaches?

Around 30-80% of adults in the United States experience tension-type headaches at some point in their lives, and we daresay these numbers may be tipping toward the upper end of the scale given the current state of affairs. To relieve the tension that’s holding your head hostage, one of the best approaches is trigger point injections.

At Valiant Life Medical, our team of integrative health care specialists offers a wide range of services that address many of the issues that lead to pain and discomfort in your body, including tension headaches. As part of our suite of cutting-edge and effective therapies, we offer trigger point injections, which can help relieve your head pain.

Here’s a brief look at how trigger point injections may hold the key to relieving your tension headaches.

Behind tension-type headaches

To better understand why our trigger point injections are so effective in relieving tension headaches, let’s take a closer at the problem.

Tension-type headaches are the most common form of headache, and as we mentioned, affect up to 80% of the population occasionally. More concerning is the 3% of the population who suffers daily tension-type headaches, with women outpacing men by two to one.

The hallmark of a tension headache is a band of pressure around your head that can lead to a dull aching sensation. Unlike migraines and other headaches, tension-type headaches don’t throb, and they affect your entire head, not just one side.

Tension headaches can be episodic, chronic, or you may only encounter them only once or twice in your life.

If you find yourself coping with tension-type headaches frequently or even daily, the good news is that we may be able to help you find relief through trigger point injections.

What is a trigger point?

Trigger points can be located throughout your body, and they are areas in your muscles that have formed a knot. These points of hyperirritability can have a local effect, as well as one that radiates outward, even affecting seemingly unrelated areas. For example, a trigger point in your shoulder area may be contributing to your tension headache.

Once we locate the trigger point that we suspect is causing your headaches, we inject the nodule with an anesthetic and a nonsteroidal medication to reduce inflammation. 

While the contents of these trigger point injections are effective, even the act of directly piercing your trigger point can cause the knot to release, which is why we can also use a dry needling technique if you’d prefer to avoid medications.

Your results should be both immediate and gradual as the anesthetic soothes your muscles while they release their grip. You may experience some soreness or redness around the injection site, but these side effects are usually short-lived.

To explore how trigger point injections can help with your tension-type headaches, contact our office in Fort Worth, Texas, to set up an appointment.