Trigger Point Injections for Headache
Trigger point injections place numbing medicine into tight, tender spots in the muscles of your head, neck and shoulders. These spots can send pain up into your head.
What are trigger point injections?
A trigger point is a small, very tight area in a muscle. It feels tender and irritable. When pressed, it may twitch. Pressing it can also cause pain right at that spot and in other places. This is called referred pain: pain felt in a different area from where it starts. Trigger points in the scalp, neck and shoulders can refer pain into the head and neck.
Left alone, trigger points can help keep head pain going. A trigger point injection aims to calm these spots. Your doctor injects medicine, usually a local anesthetic, directly into the painful muscle. The doctor targets muscle or soft tissue that seems tight, inflamed or irritable.
Trigger point injections are one of the most common “interventional” headache treatments. That term means hands-on procedures done in the office, as opposed to pills. Others include nerve blocks and SPG blocks.
Which conditions they are used for
The American Migraine Foundation says trigger points are common in several headache types, including:
- Migraine
- Tension-type headache
- Post-traumatic headache: headache that follows a head injury
- Cervicogenic headache: head pain that starts in the neck
The foundation also notes that these injections may help people with migraine or other headache disorders in general. Interventional treatments like this can be especially useful when standard medicines do not work, cause side effects that are hard to tolerate, or are not safe for a person to take. They can be added to other treatment you already use.
What to expect at the visit
- Exam first: your doctor feels the muscles of your scalp, neck and shoulders to find tight, tender spots that may be adding to your head pain.
- The injection: a small amount of numbing medicine goes into each spot with a needle.
- Right after: you should feel relief in the injected muscle and also in the areas where the pain was being referred, such as your head.
- Repeat visits: the injections can be repeated as needed.
Side effects and safety
The American Migraine Foundation describes trigger point injections as safe and well tolerated. The most common side effect is short-lived pain where the needle went in. Tell your doctor about your health history and any medicines you take before the procedure.
How long relief may last
Relief is often immediate. According to the American Migraine Foundation, it can last for weeks or longer. Results vary from person to person, and some people need repeat injections to keep the benefit.
Cost
At Park Your Headache, trigger point injections are $395. See trigger point injection fees for details. Every patient starts with a 90-minute new patient consultation ($520). If appropriate, injections may be done during that visit for an added fee. We are direct pay: no insurance billing and no referral needed. For HSA and FSA questions, see our FAQ.
What patients say
5.0 from 21 Google reviews
★★★★★
Dr. Park offers a truly innovative approach to treating headaches. I trust her training and knowledge base implicitly. She fosters a collaborative physician-patient relationship. She is highly skilled at injections and approaches her work with precision and care. She cares deeply for her patients and their well-being. I cannot recommend her highly enough.
Reviews are shared from Google in the patients’ own words. Individual experiences vary.
How Dr. Park can help
Dr. Hannah Park is a dual board-certified, fellowship-trained headache medicine neurologist with over 10 years of specialized experience, and a lifelong migraine sufferer herself. Along with headache, she treats cervical myofascial pain, neck pain and strain, shoulder pain, back pain and myofascial pain syndrome.
Your first visit is a 90-minute consultation with Dr. Park: a full history review, a neurological exam, a diagnosis and a personalized plan. The practice focuses on targeted in-office injections, such as trigger point injections and occipital nerve blocks, rather than a cycle of prescription medicines, and does not prescribe opioids. Appointments are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., usually within days. See all fees on our services page.
Related
Sources
This page summarizes patient information from these organizations, in our own words. It is general education, not medical advice.
- Spotlight On: Interventional Headache Management, American Migraine Foundation
- Interventional Headache Procedures, American Migraine Foundation
Last updated October 27, 2026.
Tight neck and shoulders feeding your headaches?
Every patient starts with a 90-minute new patient visit with Dr. Park.