Complete pain relief helps to confirm the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Moist hot compresses and massage may also be comforting to the patient after discharge. Inform the patient that after trigger point injection there may be a transient painful rebound. Anti-inflammatory analgesics will help to reduce this potential discomfort. Provide followup care for patients in the event their symptoms do not clear and they require further diagnostic evaluation and therapy.
Results are generally unsatisfactory.
When the quadratus lumborum muscle is involved there is often confusion as to whether or not the patient has a renal, abdominal, or pulmonary ailment. The reason for this is the muscle's proximity to the flank and abdomen as well as its attachment to the 12th rib, which when tender, can create pleuritic symptoms. A careful physical exam, with palpation, active contraction, and passive stretching of this muscle reproducing symptoms, can save this patient from a multitude of laboratory and x ray studies.