Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that can help with muscle spasms. Learn how it works, its benefits, and risks. Learn about the side effects of lidocaine, from common to rare, for consumers and healthcare professionals. Trigger point injections commonly involve injections of local anesthetic with or without corticosteroid, botulinum toxin, or without any injection substance (dry needling). What are trigger point injections used for? Healthcare providers use trigger point injections to help treat myofascial pain. “Myo” means muscle and “fascial” means. Description Lidocaine injection is used to cause numbness or loss of feeling for patients having certain medical procedures (by blocking certain nerves using the brachial plexus, intercostal, lumbar, or epidural blocking techniques). Lidocaine is a local anesthetic. It prevents pain by blocking the signals at the nerve endings in the skin. A trigger point injection at the base of my skull activated another trigger point in my neck, causing increased muscle spasm and pain, with much reduced range of motion. Findings and Discussion Key Results of the Research Clinical studies have consistently demonstrated that lidocaine can provide significant relief for muscle spasms. Administered through local injections or topical formulations, it acts by blocking the transmission of pain signals in affected areas. This property is particularly useful in cases of acute spasms or chronic conditions such as. Yes, lidocaine can cause muscle spasm, twitching, and tremors, typically as a sign of systemic toxicity or overdose. Learn about the neurological side effects. Distinguishing Lidocaine from Muscle Relaxants True muscle relaxant medications operate through different mechanisms than lidocaine. These drugs, such as cyclobenzaprine or baclofen, are designed to reduce muscle tone or spasm. Many work by acting on the central nervous system or directly affecting the muscle at the neuromuscular junction. A trigger point injection is a procedure where a needle is inserted through the skin into the palpated painful muscle, the trigger point. Medication may be injected to help relax the area and ease the pain. Although an injured muscle group may have global spasm and pain, a discrete trigger point will be significantly more tender in a small localized area when compared to the surrounding tissue. Evidence for Trigger Point Injections A TPI is the ideal management strategy when attempting to treat focal, hyper-irritated muscle spasm like trigger points.