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.
Research on the use of Botox for migraines began when it was discovered that 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. There was complete recovery from migraine in about half of them and partial improvement in about one third.
At the conclusion of a formal study conducted in 1999, migraine headaches completely disappeared in about half of the patients while about 37 percent experienced a fifty per cent reduction in the severity and/or frequency of migraine headaches. This study was conducted by Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. William Binder, and three other doctors, involving 100 patients divided into three distinct groups: those who definitely had migraine headaches, those who probably had migraine headaches, and those who definitely did not have migraine headaches.
Four months after receiving Botox injections, the patients who reported that they no longer suffered from migraine headaches said that their symptoms had disappeared. In addition, complete benefit was experienced within one or two hours by 8 out of 13 patients who had acute migraines. The disadvantages were far outweighed by the benefits. Slight bruising and temporary local pain caused by the injections were the only adverse effects reported in the administration of Botox for migraines.
Previous research had shown that by relaxing the muscles, botulinum toxin A injections can reduce tension type headaches. However, the principal cause of migraine is not tension. So the researchers were surprised that Botox had such a good effect in the case of migraines. The study proponents then concluded that Botox can not be said to be a cure, but Botox for migraines certainly helped relieve the symptoms, based on the results that were achieved.
Slightly different results were shown in other researches which were done more recently on the use of Botox for migraines. 18 out of 24 patients experienced four to six months of migraine relief following injections of Botox in a study conducted in 2000 by Dr. Richard Glogau, professor of dermatology at the University of California San Francisco. In a study conducted by Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Arizona’s Dr. David Dodick in 2005, the frequency of migraine headaches in patients dropped from an average of 14 to only 6 a month after receiving Botox injections.
The medical use of Botox for migraines is not yet approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration but is approved for neurological disorders such as cervical dystonia (also known as spasmodic torticollis), blepharospasm, and strabismus. Migraine headache is also a neurological condition. The fact that Botox is an effective therapy for certain neurological syndromes indicates that there really is a positive connection between Botox and migraines.
About the Author: Jane Villardo gives advice on the ways that Botox (botulinum toxin type a) can improve lives. For more information about using Botox for migraines, you can go to a resource site on Botox that provides accurate and helpful facts.