Myofascial injections

As many people with shoulder injuries will tell you - pain oftentimes can include muscle pain in the neck and shoulder blade areas.  When one has an injury to his/her shoulder, the body tries to compensate by not moving the shoulder joint.  What happens, unfortunately, is that we tend to overuse the shoulder blade to compensate.  This overuse leads to significant muscle pain in the neck and shoulder blade areas.

This simple fact is frequently overlooked, leading to a prolonged course of pain and dysfunction that can sometimes be worse than the original injury.  As part of my Disappointing Shoulder Program, I incorporate multiple techniques to improve patients with chronic shoulder pain, whether that is from failed surgery or otherwise.  One such technique that is backed with scores of scientific evidence is myofascial injections.  These simple injections utilize a very small needle and a local anesthetic to break apart "knots", also known as myofascial trigger points, in the muscle.  Oftentimes, the improvement in pain is immediate.  Injections can be repeated every few weeks until the trigger point is eliminated.  Although the injections are not a cure all, as part of a comprehensive program, they can significantly improve a patient's level of pain and function.