Categories


Botox For Migraine Headaches

Published in May 13th, 2008
Posted in Medicine

Advertisements

Botox for migraine headache is one of the newer advances to come along within the last five years. Many people are familiar with Botox and usually the first question providers get is..”can you get rid of my wrinkles too??” Well..yes and no. Wrinkles in forehead, yes, around the eyes, you have to see the plastic surgeon for that one!

Botox for migraine headache is a form of botulism toxin that is extremely diluted. The injections are given in small amounts, about one tenth of a milliliter, and placed just under the skin, near the nerves that cause pain.

It also causes paralysis of the muscles in the area and is sometimes used for neck spasms known as dystonias, torticollis or “wry neck”. Sometimes this is also a part of the problem with migraine, as chronic spasms in the neck will cause headaches.

So where are the injections? The injections are placed across the forehead, and just between the eyebrows. They are always placed on both sides of the head, no matter on which side your headaches are frequent. After all, you would look pretty funny with lines on one side of your forehead and not the other, right? Injections are not placed past the midline of the eyebrow as that would paralyze the eyebrow (for a few months) and you would not be able to raise them. (There goes that look of surprise!) Additional injections are placed in the temporal muscles on both sides of the temple. If neck pain is a problem, then injections may be placed just under the skin in the neck.

Side effects of Botox injections include irritation at the injection site which may last a few days, and a minute amount of blood at the injection site. If given in the neck, weakness of neck muscles may be noticed but it is usually not severe. The success rate with Botox for migraine has been reported to be as high as 75%, but clinically many see about a 50% success rate.

Injections are given every 2-4 months depending on the patient and how soon the first set begins to wear off. Many insurance companies are beginning to pay for Botox for migraine and even for chronic daily headache, so check with yours to see if you qualify. If you don’t, the cost per session is about one thousand dollars and perhaps more depending on where you live.

So how do you know if you are a candidate for Botox for your headaches? Well you have to have severe headaches that have not responded well to other medications. Also, chronic daily headache or two or three disabling migraines per month would also be a good reason to consider Botox.

Botox does not cure headaches! Like many other medications for headache, Botox offers another medium for headache management. If successful, Botox allows may allow you to reduce, and perhaps eliminate, your other headache medications. Once you are stable, say one or two headaches per month, the Botox can be discontinued.

Talk to your provider, ask for a referral to a headache center to find out more about Botox for migraine.

mary k. betz, ms rpa-c is a practicing physician assistant who specializes in headache medicine. for more information visit http://www.headache-adviser.com/botox-for-migraine-headache.htmlbotox for migraine headaches at headache-adviser.com

Related posts:

  1. Barometric Pressure And Headaches Do you suffer from barometric pressure and headaches? What in the world is that? Well when the clouds roll in and the pressure drops, you know what I mean! Your head begins throbbing as the day goes on. Unfortunately, when this happens, many people think they are getting a sinus headaches. Sadly,this usually isn’t the [...]...
  2. How To Manage Your Hormone Headaches All too often many women will have an odd response when asked if they have headaches. “No I don’t have headaches, just my normal monthly one.” Well I am here to tell you that headaches are not normal, monthly or otherwise. Headaches that occur monthly during the menstrual cycle are menstrual migraines. Menstrual migraine is [...]...
  3. Migraine And Obesity: Is There A Link? There has been a lot of hype in the media lately about obesity, migraines and a possible connection. The AHS (American Headache Society) has put out a short statement on their website stating that there is no correlation at the present time. HOWEVER..a few studies published in the last two years concerning obesity and migraines [...]...
  4. Fixing Wrinkles With Botox Injection Wrinkles in your skin can be devastating and embarrassing to a certain degree, but also are a part of getting older and taking part in the natural process our bodies endure. The wrinkles that our face display are categorized into two parts; static and dynamic. Static are visible when your face is at rest and [...]...
  5. Headache Medications: Are They Worth It? Too many times people with chronic headaches are told to “take these pills and all will be well”. But what about those pills? Do they really help or is this just another way to throw medications at a problem? Well, just like anything else, there are pros and cons to taking headache medications. Some of [...]...
  6. Is Botox A Viable Option? One of the most popular and fastest growing cosmetic procedures available today is Botox injection. Used for the temporary removal or reducing of facial wrinkles caused by muscles that is used frequently. These wrinkles are formed from repetitive use of facial muscles such as when we laugh or frown. As a result humans form crows [...]...
  7. Getting the Right Dose of Botox is Essential for Success If you are considering getting botox injections to treat your facial and neck wrinkles, then it is essential for you to understand that getting the right dosage is essential for success of the treatment. While everyone these days have heard about the process of treating wrinkles with botulinum toxin, but many people do not really [...]...
  8. Massage Techniques To Reduce Headaches Massage is known for its many therapeutic and health giving benefits. Physicians, to help promote healing for many ailments, often prescribe it. However, when it comes to headaches, new scientific research is showing that massage is extremely beneficial. One of the benefits that massage offers is that headache sufferers can often perform the massage themselves. [...]...
  9. Botox Parties – More Than Just Harmless Fun? Botox, possibly the fastest way to zap wrinkles without having surgery. It’s madly popular and people now even have botox parties in which the botox, and alcohol, flows freely! Even the greediest plastic surgeon will warn you about Botox parties. Usually held in a beauty salon, spa, or even at someone’s home, Botox parties are [...]...
  10. Botox and Skin Rejuvenation to Treat Lines and Wrinkles Many people undergo Botox, microdermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing instead of a traditional face lift to eliminate signs of aging. In addition, individuals use less expensive methods, such as facials and home remedies to enhance and rejuvenate their faces on a daily basis. Botox: Botox Cosmetic injections help to alleviate wrinkles around your eyes and [...]...
Previous post:
«

Next post:
»