What is Botox?
Botox is used to provide relief from chronic migraines and other health issues. Botox is made of a purified form of botulinum toxin, a substance made by the bacteria that causes botulism.
- Botox injected in small doses can weaken or partially paralyze muscles, preventing them from painful and pathologic contractions. The effects are temporary, typically lasting approximately 3 months.
What do Botox injections treat?
Botox can alleviate the symptoms of a variety of conditions, including:
- Spasticity: movement disorder caused by conditions affecting your spinal cord or brain, leading to muscle stiffness and involuntary spasms
- Dystonia: involuntarily muscle(s) contractions and twisting. can be very painful and can lead to abnormal postures and movements
- Migraines: prolonged headaches
- Postherpetic neuralgia: complication of shingles that affects your nerve fibers and skin, causing burning pain
- Torticollis: a musculoskeletal disorder in which your neck is tilted or twisted
Botox injections also help reduce excessive sweating.
How is severe spasticity treated?
If severe spasticity is interfering with your ability to take part in routine activities or get a good night’s sleep, the team may recommend an FDA-approved treatment involving a small pump that’s implanted under your skin. The tiny pump delivers precise, steady dosages of a muscle relaxer called baclofen directly into your spinal fluid to give you relief.
What happens during Botox treatment for migraines?
The team uses a tiny needle to inject small amounts of Botox into shallow muscles around the pain fibers involved in headaches. The injection feels like a pinprick.
Botox penetrates your nerve endings around the injection site. This blocks the release of chemicals that transmit pain signals and prevents the pain networks in your brain from being activated.
Your treatment may call for two dozen or more injections. The team will recommend the treatment plan that’s right for you.
You can go home immediately after your treatment. The most common side effect is a sore neck, but applying an ice pack can help relieve the temporary discomfort.
How long do Botox injections for migraines last?
One treatment lasts for 10-12 weeks. While some patients reported that two Botox treatments reduced the number of headache days by roughly half, it may take up to six months to see the full results.
If you’ve been suffering from health issues like migraines, spasticity, or other issues, call today to book a consultation with Enhance Center.
