Attorneys
Last Updated: 2/22/2024
A car accident can result in injuries which in some cases might be severe enough to cause significant pain, even days, weeks, or months after the accident. Doctors may utilize trigger point injections to treat the pain if other treatments or home care – like rest or physical therapy – are not effective.
What are trigger points?
According to an article published in the journal American Academy of Family Physicians in 2002, trigger points are hyperirritable spots of the body that are located within a “taut band of skeletal muscle.” Patients with trigger points may experience muscle spasms, inflammation, and pain in these areas.
Trigger points commonly occur in these areas.
- The back, particularly the upper back
- Upper spine
- Shoulder
While less common, trigger points can develop in other parts of the body as well. Trigger points are usually caused when trauma to the muscle occurs, such as in the event of an injury. One common cause of injury that can cause trauma to the back, as well as other extremities, is a car accident. Following a car accident, a victim may develop trigger points.
Understanding Trigger Point Injections
Trigger points can be painful themselves. During a trigger point injection, a numbing agent like lidocaine (or another similar agent) is injected into the trigger point, causing numbing and pain relief. The treatments are outpatient procedures administered by a medical professional using a very small needle. In some cases, a steroid is used in place of the anesthetic. In the ideal situation, only one trigger point injection is needed to alleviate the pain, but in some cases, the treatment may be needed fairly regularly.
Trigger point injections can be very effective at alleviating pain, but like all medical procedures, there is a risk of certain complications. A minor side effect may include pain at the injection site. Infection may occur in rare cases.
Other complications might include the formation of a hematoma or the needle breaking. Patients should review all possible complications with their doctor prior to receiving this or any other treatment for their pain.
How can I afford my trigger point injection(s)?
If you have been injured in an accident and have sustained an injury leading to trigger points, a trigger point injection can provide you with the pain relief you need. But medical treatment can get expensive, leaving many wondering if they can afford pain relief.
If another person’s negligence caused your car accident, then you may be able to file a car accident claim to recover damages that you’ve suffered. This allows you to recover compensation related to your injury, including treatment costs.
Other damages that may be awarded include damages for lost wages and mental anguish. During the lawsuit, you will have to prove that your injury and trigger points – and any other injuries from the car accident – were the result of the accident, and that the other party caused the accident by acting negligently.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Today
A victim of a car accident doesn’t deserve to live in pain. If you have trigger points, trigger point therapy may help alleviate the pain preventing you from living your life. For help recovering compensation to receive this and other treatment, seek the legal help and counsel of a local attorney,.
At Walker, Billingsley & Bair, our attorneys understand how essential medical care and pain relief can be following an accident that causes injury. We’ll help you take all of the necessary legal steps to file your lawsuit or claim and recover compensation for your damages. Call us today for legal help at (515) 440-2852 use the form on our contact page to set up your free consultation.
