From Vanishing Lines To Treating Chronic Migraines

Botox does more than keep you looking younger, new developments have Botox treating those awful migraine headaches.  What makes it the magic healer?

Botox is a safe and effective treatment for the temporary reduction of moderate to severe facial lines, as well as for excessive sweating disorders, muscle contraction, and migraine headaches. A natural purified protein, FDA-approved Botox Cosmetic is the most common medical cosmetic treatment, with more than four million treatments performed per year. It is most often used to treat dynamic wrinkles. Dr. Berger uses BOTOX to lift and shape the brow, and to soften or eliminate lines on the forehead, “crow’s feet”, frown lines, sad lines, lines under the eyes, bunny lines, dimpled chins, neck bands and necklace lines, drooping noses, bulging jaw muscles, and fine lines around the lips.

Botox has been used since 1989 to treat a variety of medical conditions, including abnormal head position and neck pain; eye-muscle problems and spasm of the eyelids; and stiffness in elbow, wrist and finger muscles in adults with upper limb spasticity.  Then last October the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Botox for use in treating migraines.  

Dr. Jeffrey Royce who treats patients with migraine headaches at his practice in Rockford, IL says “This would be for patients who experience 15 or more headaches per month and who have tried other preventive therapies, but either the therapies didn’t work or the patient couldn’t tolerate the other therapies.”

So how does Botox stop a migraine?  According to Dr. Royce, an early theory about why Botox works as a treatment for chronic migraines was that it acted to block acetylcholine, a substance that causes muscles to become overactive and tense up, “but it may block CGRP (Calcitonin gene-related peptide). We know that, after an acute migraine attack, CGRP levels are very high in the (central nervous) system,” said Royce.

The procedure takes about 15 minutes, and lasts for about 12 weeks. Like most things, this treatment requires a little maintenance, but I’m sure most migraine sufferers would agree that it’s worth the effort.