604 Form

1

Medical Policy
Trigger Point and Tender Point Injections
Table of Contents • Policy: Commercial • Coding Information
• Information Pertaining to All Policies
• Policy: Medicare • Description
• References
• Authorization Information • Policy History

Policy Number: 604 BCBSA Reference Number: 2.01.103 (For Plan internal use only)

Related Policies
Dry Needling and Trigger Point Injections for Myofascial, #792

Policy Commercial Members: Managed Care (HMO and POS), PPO, and Indemnity

Trigger point injections with anesthetic and/or corticosteroid may be considered MEDICALLY NECESSARY for the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome when all of the following criteria have been met: • There is a regional pain complaint in the expected distribution of referral pain from a trigger point, AND • There is spot tenderness in a palpable taut band in a muscle, AND • There is restricted range of motion, AND • Conservative therapy (eg, physical therapy, active exercises, ultrasound, heating or cooling, massage, activity modification, or pharmacotherapy) for 6 weeks fails or is not feasible, AND • Trigger point injections are provided as a component of a comprehensive therapy program, AND • No more than 4 injections are given in a rolling 12-month period.

Trigger point and tender point injections are considered INVESTIGATIONAL for all other indications, including the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome not meeting the criteria above, complex regional pain syndrome, abdominal wall pain, and fibromyalgia.

Ultrasound guidance of trigger point injections is considered INVESTIGATIONAL.

Prior Authorization Information
Inpatient • For services described in this policy, precertification/preauthorization IS REQUIRED for all products if the procedure is performed inpatient.
Outpatient • For services described in this policy, see below for products where prior authorization might be required if the procedure is performed outpatient.

2

Outpatient Commercial Managed Care (HMO and POS) Prior authorization is not required. Commercial PPO and Indemnity Prior authorization is not required. CPT Codes / HCPCS Codes / ICD Codes Inclusion or exclusion of a code does not constitute or imply member coverage or provider reimbursement. Please refer to the member’s contract benefits in effect at the time of service to determine coverage or non-coverage as it applies to an individual member.

Providers should report all services using the most up-to-date industry-standard procedure, revenue, and diagnosis codes, including modifiers where applicable.

The following codes are included below for informational purposes only; this is not an all-inclusive list.

The above medical necessity criteria MUST be met for the following codes to be covered for Commercial Members: Managed Care (HMO and POS), PPO, and Indemnity: CPT Codes
CPT codes: Code Description 20552 Injection(s); single or multiple trigger point(s), 1 or 2 muscle(s) 20553 Injection(s); single or multiple trigger point(s), 3 or more muscles

The following ICD Diagnosis Codes are considered medically necessary when submitted with the CPT codes above if medical necessity criteria are met:

ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes ICD-10-CM Diagnosis codes: Code Description M79.10 Myalgia, unspecified site M79.11 Myalgia of mastication muscle M79.12 Myalgia of auxiliary muscles, head and neck M79.18 Myalgia, other site Description Trigger Points Definition Trigger points are discrete, focal, hyperirritable spots within a taut band of skeletal muscle fibers that produce local and/or referred pain when stimulated. Trigger points are associated with local ischemia and hypoxia, a significantly lowered pH, local and referred pain and altered muscle activation patterns. Treatment Trigger point injections with local anesthetic, saline, steroid, or botulinum toxin type A are a potential treatment for pain associated with trigger points. Alternative nonpharmacologic treatment modalities for trigger point pain include manual techniques, massage, acupressure, ultrasonography, application of heat or ice, diathermy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and spray cooling with manual stretch.1, Associated Disorders Myofascial Pain Syndrome Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic regional pain disorder caused by the activation of at least 1 trigger point in muscles, tendons, or muscle fascia. It can cause local or referred pain, tightness, tenderness, stiffness and limitation of movement, muscle weakness, and often autonomic phenomena. The severity of symptoms and degree of functional impairment vary. Some individuals will have few trigger points with mild symptoms and no functional impairment, while others will have multiple satellite trigger points,

3

widespread and severe pain, and major functional impairments. Conditions that can lead to myofascial pain syndrome include chronic repetitive minor muscle strain, poor posture, systemic disease, strain, sprain, enthesopathy, and arthritis. Management of chronic myofascial pain typically includes behavioral and pharmacologic approaches and physical therapy. Injection of a local anesthetic or botulinum toxin has also been reported. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Complex regional pain syndrome (previously called sympathetic dystrophy) refers to a chronic and disabling condition characterized by persistent pain that is disproportionate to the extent and duration of the primary injury and is not restricted to the distribution of a specific peripheral nerve.2, Complex regional pain syndrome occurs most commonly following wrist fracture but may follow many other types of injury, even when the preceding injury is relatively minor. Complex regional pain syndrome may also occur when there is no known injury. Complex regional pain syndrome is classified into type I when a specific nerve lesion has not been identified and type II when there is an identifiable nerve lesion. The pain may consist of thermal or mechanical allodynia (pain that occurs from a stimulus that normally does not elicit a painful response such as light touch or warmth) dysesthesia (a constant or ongoing unpleasant or electrical sensation of pain), and/or hyperalgesia (an exaggerated response to normally painful stimuli). Management of complex regional pain syndrome includes oral and topical pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, psychological therapies, and interventional procedures such as regional anesthetic blocks, sympathetic blocks, or spinal cord stimulation. Amputation of the affected limb has also been performed. Abdominal Wall Pain A source of chronic abdominal wall pain is anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome, which typically presents as sharp and focal abdominal pain, and is often found near a scar. One hypothesis is that anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome results from the entrapment and ischemia of an anterior cutaneous branch of a thoracic nerve as it passes through the rectus abdominus muscle.3, Anterior wall pain can be distinguished from intra-abdominal pain by documenting that pain increases with maneuvers that tense the abdominal muscles. It has also been proposed that abdominal wall pain may be due to a myofascial trigger point in the rectus abdominus muscle. Tender Points Definition Tender points are focal areas of hyperalgesia that tend to occur at muscle-tendon junctions. Tender points are differentiated from trigger points due to the absence of a taut band of muscle tissue or local hyperirritability (“jump response”) when palpated.

Despite the lack of local hyperirritability or a palpable band of tissue, some practitioners have treated tender points with injections of local anesthetic, corticosteroids, or botulinum toxin, similar to the treatment of trigger points.

Associated Disorders Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain with hyperalgesia and allodynia. Constitutional symptoms such as fatigue, impaired cognition, and disrupted sleep can also occur.4, Early diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia (1990) included 3 or more months of widespread pain above and below the waist, on both sides of the body, and along the midline, with at least 11 of 18 specific tender points. The defined bilateral areas from the American College of Rheumatology criteria are occipital, low cervical, trapezius, supraspinatus, second rib, lateral epicondyle, gluteal, greater trochanter, and knee medial fat pad. However, 2010 diagnostic criteria from the College, which were designed to facilitate diagnosis in a general practice setting, did not include a tender point exam but instead relied on the presence of widespread pain and other symptoms.5, Summary Trigger points are discrete, focal, hyperirritable spots within a taut band of skeletal muscle fibers that produce local and/or referred pain when stimulated. Tender points also produce local pain when stimulated but lack the taut band of tissue and hyperirritability when palpated. Injection of an anesthetic

4

agent or botulinum toxin into trigger points and tender points is being evaluated for the management of a variety of pain syndromes. For individuals who have myofascial pain syndrome who receive trigger point injections, the evidence includes several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and a systematic review of RCTs. Relevant outcomes are symptoms, functional outcomes, quality of life, and treatment-related morbidity. Lidocaine injections have been compared with physical therapy, lidocaine patches, sham stimulation, and dry needling. Some trials have reported that injecting lidocaine into trigger points improves subjective pain ratings to the same degree as physical therapy or lidocaine patches but only slightly more than sham stimulation. Other trials have found that lidocaine injection was superior to dry needling on subjective pain ratings but there was no significant benefit with lidocaine injection assessed on objective outcome measures. These results suggest a strong placebo effect of the treatment. The evidence is insufficient to determine that the technology results in an improvement in the net health outcome. For individuals who have complex regional pain syndrome who receive trigger point injections, the evidence includes case series. Relevant outcomes are symptoms, functional outcomes, quality of life, and treatment-related morbidity. Evidence on treatment of complex regional pain syndrome with trigger point injections is very limited, with only case series published and no recent literature identified for this treatment approach. The evidence is insufficient to determine that the technology results in an improvement in the net health outcome. For individuals who have abdominal wall pain who receive trigger point injections, the evidence includes an RCT. Relevant outcomes are symptoms, functional outcomes, quality of life, and treatment-related morbidity. The single RCT evaluated lidocaine injections in women who had chronic pelvic pain and abdominal wall trigger points. Additional study in a larger population is needed to permit greater certainty about the efficacy of this treatment approach. The evidence is insufficient to determine that the technology results in an improvement in the net health outcome. For individuals who have fibromyalgia who receive tender point injections, the evidence includes an RCT. Relevant outcomes are symptoms, functional outcomes, quality of life, and treatment-related morbidity. The single RCT identified evaluated the efficacy of lidocaine injections in patients with fibromyalgia. It found a strong placebo effect, with lidocaine injection being not more effective than saline at reducing fibromyalgia pain. The evidence is insufficient to determine that the technology results in an improvement in the net health outcome. Policy History Date Action 6/2025 Annual policy review. References updated. Policy statements unchanged. 1/2025 Policy clarified to state that no more than 4 injections are given in a rolling 12-month period. 6/2024 Annual policy review. References updated. Policy statements unchanged. 6/2023 Annual policy review. Description, summary, and references updated. Policy statements unchanged. 6/2022 Annual policy review. Policy statements unchanged. 9/2021 Coding clarified. Annual policy review. Description, summary, and references updated. Policy statements unchanged. 1/2021 Medicare information removed. See MP #132 Medicare Advantage Management for local coverage determination and national coverage determination reference.
6/2020 New policy describing medically necessary and investigational indications. No more than 4 injections should be given in a 12-month period. Effective 6/1/2020. Annual policy review. Description, summary and references updated. Policy statement(s) unchanged. Information Pertaining to All Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical Policies Click on any of the following terms to access the relevant information:

5

Medical Policy Terms of Use Managed Care Guidelines Indemnity/PPO Guidelines Clinical Exception Process Medical Technology Assessment Guidelines References

1. Alvarez DJ, Rockwell PG. Trigger points: diagnosis and management. Am Fam Physician. Feb 15 2002; 65(4): 653-60. PMID 11871683
2. O'Connell NE, Wand BM, McAuley J, et al. Interventions for treating pain and disability in adults with complex regional pain syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Apr 30 2013; 2013(4): CD009416. PMID 23633371
3. Alnahhas MF, Oxentenko SC, Locke GR, et al. Outcomes of Ultrasound-Guided Trigger Point Injection for Abdominal Wall Pain. Dig Dis Sci. Feb 2016; 61(2): 572-7. PMID 26320087
4. Sumpton JE, Moulin DE. Fibromyalgia. Handb Clin Neurol. 2014; 119: 513-27. PMID 24365316
5. Wolfe F, Clauw DJ, Fitzcharles MA, et al. The American College of Rheumatology preliminary diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia and measurement of symptom severity. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). May 2010; 62(5): 600-10. PMID 20461783
6. Lugo LH, García HI, Rogers HL, et al. Treatment of myofascial pain syndrome with lidocaine injection and physical therapy, alone or in combination: a single blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. Feb 24 2016; 17: 101. PMID 26911981
7. Affaitati G, Fabrizio A, Savini A, et al. A randomized, controlled study comparing a lidocaine patch, a placebo patch, and anesthetic injection for treatment of trigger points in patients with myofascial pain syndrome: evaluation of pain and somatic pain thresholds. Clin Ther. Apr 2009; 31(4): 705-20. PMID 19446144
8. Couto C, de Souza IC, Torres IL, et al. Paraspinal stimulation combined with trigger point needling and needle rotation for the treatment of myofascial pain: a randomized sham-controlled clinical trial. Clin J Pain. Mar 2014; 30(3): 214-23. PMID 23629597
9. Hong CZ. Lidocaine injection versus dry needling to myofascial trigger point. The importance of the local twitch response. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 1994; 73(4): 256-63. PMID 8043247
10. Brennan KL, Allen BC, Maldonado YM. Dry Needling Versus Cortisone Injection in the Treatment of Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome: A Noninferiority Randomized Clinical Trial. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. Apr 2017; 47(4): 232-239. PMID 28257614
11. Hong CZ. Specific sequential myofascial trigger point therapy in the treatment of a patient with myofascial pain syndrome associated with reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Australas Chiropr Osteopathy. Mar 2000; 9(1): 7-11. PMID 17987165
12. Dunn DG. Chronic regional pain syndrome, type 1: Part II. AORN J. Oct 2000; 72(4): 643-51, 653; quiz 654, 656-8, 661-2. PMID 11076283
13. Ferraro MC, Cashin AG, Wand BM, et al. Interventions for treating pain and disability in adults with complex regional pain syndrome- an overview of systematic reviews. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Jun 12 2023; 6(6): CD009416. PMID 37306570
14. Oor JE, Ünlü Ç, Hazebroek EJ. A systematic review of the treatment for abdominal cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome. Am J Surg. Jul 2016; 212(1): 165-74. PMID 26945611
15. Montenegro ML, Braz CA, Rosa-e-Silva JC, et al. Anaesthetic injection versus ischemic compression for the pain relief of abdominal wall trigger points in women with chronic pelvic pain. BMC Anesthesiol. Dec 01 2015; 15: 175. PMID 26628263
16. Staud R, Weyl EE, Bartley E, et al. Analgesic and anti-hyperalgesic effects of muscle injections with lidocaine or saline in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Eur J Pain. Jul 2014; 18(6): 803-12. PMID 24193993
17. Benzon HT, Connis RT, De Leon-Casasola OA, et al. Practice guidelines for chronic pain management: an updated report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Chronic Pain Management and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Anesthesiology. Apr 2010; 112(4): 810-33. PMID 20124882
18. Benzon HT, Elmofty D, Shankar H, et al. Use of corticosteroids for adult chronic pain interventions: sympathetic and peripheral nerve blocks, trigger point injections - guidelines from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the

6

American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society. Reg Anesth Pain Med. Mar 12 2025. PMID 39019502