Are injections for neck pain covered by insurance?

A trigger point injection for neck pain is widely covered by insurance policies, but often there are requirements for receiving the treatment, according to the UCLA Center for East West Medicine. HMO insurance holders generally need a referral from a primary care physician and certain policies limit the number of injections that can be received during a year's time.

A trigger point occurs when a knot forms in muscles that fail to relax. The mass irritates nerves nearby and often causes pain, notes the Centeno Schultz Clinic. A trigger point injection is normally done on an outpatient basis, and involves a shot of lidocaine, a local pain killer.