The anaerobic, Gram positive, spore-forming bacteria Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum toxin type A, a neurotoxic protein that can paralyse muscles by preventing the release of the chemical neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Under the trade name Botox Cosmetic, it is commercially available for the cosmetic treatment of facial lines and wrinkles. In its cosmetic application, Botox is injected into underlying muscles to minimize the appearance of wrinkles. It is now also touted as a remedy for migraine headache.
Severe head pain, nausea and visual or light sensitivity problems are some of the symptoms associated with migraine headaches. Slurred speech and temporary paralysis have also been frequently observed in severe cases. Botox for migraines had been shown to be a safe and effective treatment, actually relieving most if not all of the symptoms of migraines, in clinical studies conducted as early as 1999.
A number of patients receiving Botox injections for the treatment of deep wrinkles on the forehead stopped having migraine headaches or had significantly fewer migraine headaches since starting the injections. About half of them completely recovered from migraines and there was partial improvement in about a third. When this was discovered by doctors, research on the use of Botox for migraines was begun.
In a formal study conducted in 1999 by Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. William Binder and three other doctors, 100 patients were classified into three groups. One group consisted of those who had true migraines. Those who probably had migraines made up another group. The composition of the third group was of those who did not have migraines. After several months, migraine headaches in half the patients had completely disappeared. 37 per cent reported that they were suffering migraines half as often, or that the severity of their migraines was halved.
8 patients out of 13 who had acute migraines said that they experienced complete benefit within one or two hours. In addition, patients who reported that they no longer suffered from migraine headaches said that their symptoms had disappeared about four months after receiving Botox injections. Adverse effects were also reported in the use of Botox for migraines but these were minimal and comprised only slight bruising and temporary local pain caused by the injections.
Based on the results that were achieved, the researchers concluded that the administration of Botox for migraines certainly helped relieve the symptoms but it can not be said to be a cure. They were surprised by the effectiveness of Botox in patients who suffered from migraine headaches, despite data from previous research that it is an effective treatment for tension type headaches. After all, tension is not the primary cause of migraine headaches.
Dr. Richard Glogau, professor of dermatology at the University of California San Francisco, conducted another study on the use of Botox for migraines in 2000. Four to six months of migraine relief following injections of Botox was experienced by 18 out of 24 patients in this study. In addition, the frequency of migraine headaches in patients dropped from an average of 14 to only 6 a month after receiving Botox injections in a study conducted by Dr. David Dodick, of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Arizona, in 2005.
Botox has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of neurological disorders such as cervical dystonia (also known as spasmodic torticollis), blepharospasm, and strabismus. It has yet to be approved for the treatment of migraine headaches. The results of testing, however, show that there is a bright future in the use of Botox for migraines.
About the Author:
Jane Villardo gives lots of helpful advice on the use of Botox at www.botoxinjection-facts.com, a website about Botox injections.
Get all the information and photos:: http://coringa.info/health/getting-rid-of-pain-botox-for-migraines
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