Botox As A Migraine Treatment
By Cali Marinaw
There has been many new uses for botulinum toxin injections in recent years in the cosmetic medicine industry. Not only do clinics offer patients options to enhance their appearance using botox, there are other disorders that are treatable this way as well, including muscle spasticity. In the recent past, its use has now been extended to treating migraines.
Here, we will be discussing how botox injections can now be utilized for this purpose.
The origins of using this treatment for migraines
Paralyzation occurs in the muscles due to botox injections, and because of this, the muscles stay in a relaxed position as they don't receive the nerve signals. Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium contained in these injections, and that is the cause of the effect. Eye muscles can be relaxed this way, as well as muscles in other areas, of a patient's body, which can help rebuild muscle tone and restore function to higher levels.
Botox for migraine treatments
Migraine is primarily mediated by the release of the neuro-chemical serotonin. Treatments of botox do not affect that, but there is evidence that shows patients who find relief from migraine pain from the treatments.
This is still being researched and the reasons for the correlation are not clear at this time, but people are still pleased with the results they receive for their migraine issues. Botox has been suggested to be injected at 31 to 39 different points in the scalp. The most common theories that have been put forth:
Number one would be that pain signals in nerves are blocked by these injections.
Then, the blood pressure in the brain is reduced by the scalp muscles being relaxed.
The research is still preliminary, but at this point, it seems that patients are finding that their headaches are less painful and frequent, and they are happier in general.
When a patient reports migraine headaches that happen for over 15 days a month, and do not receive relief from other types of treatment are sometimes recommended to have botox injections. Analgesic overuse headaches happen when a patient over5uses painkiller medications, so this must be examined for patients as well.
If they treatments make it so that less than 15 days a month are headache free, or if they have at least 2 cycles of botox without seeing any relief, then this may not be the right treatment for that particular patient.
Are risks a factor?
It's possible to have an allergic reaction or some neck pain from botox treatment, but that only happens to a tiny percentage of patients.
Summary
Botox injections are still relatively new when it comes to treatment for migraines, but it is gaining in popularity. Botox treatments for chronic migraine look like they are effective, but at this time, further study needs to be concluded in order for these claims to be verified.
Here, we will be discussing how botox injections can now be utilized for this purpose.
The origins of using this treatment for migraines
Paralyzation occurs in the muscles due to botox injections, and because of this, the muscles stay in a relaxed position as they don't receive the nerve signals. Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium contained in these injections, and that is the cause of the effect. Eye muscles can be relaxed this way, as well as muscles in other areas, of a patient's body, which can help rebuild muscle tone and restore function to higher levels.
Botox for migraine treatments
Migraine is primarily mediated by the release of the neuro-chemical serotonin. Treatments of botox do not affect that, but there is evidence that shows patients who find relief from migraine pain from the treatments.
This is still being researched and the reasons for the correlation are not clear at this time, but people are still pleased with the results they receive for their migraine issues. Botox has been suggested to be injected at 31 to 39 different points in the scalp. The most common theories that have been put forth:
Number one would be that pain signals in nerves are blocked by these injections.
Then, the blood pressure in the brain is reduced by the scalp muscles being relaxed.
The research is still preliminary, but at this point, it seems that patients are finding that their headaches are less painful and frequent, and they are happier in general.
When a patient reports migraine headaches that happen for over 15 days a month, and do not receive relief from other types of treatment are sometimes recommended to have botox injections. Analgesic overuse headaches happen when a patient over5uses painkiller medications, so this must be examined for patients as well.
If they treatments make it so that less than 15 days a month are headache free, or if they have at least 2 cycles of botox without seeing any relief, then this may not be the right treatment for that particular patient.
Are risks a factor?
It's possible to have an allergic reaction or some neck pain from botox treatment, but that only happens to a tiny percentage of patients.
Summary
Botox injections are still relatively new when it comes to treatment for migraines, but it is gaining in popularity. Botox treatments for chronic migraine look like they are effective, but at this time, further study needs to be concluded in order for these claims to be verified.