Can Botox Treatment Help With Migraines?

If you suffer from migraines, you will often find yourself in debilitating pain that affects your quality of life. Although some prescription medications can provide temporary relief, migraines won’t disappear. Most people who suffer from migraines find themselves with an enfeebling headache at least every seven to eight days. That means that you’ll be using prescription medication about four times per month to simply mask the symptoms that are bound to return anyway. Botox injections are now being used to give migraine sufferers a reprieve from these crippling headaches.

What are Botox injections?

Clostridium botulinum is a bacteria that, when turned into Botox and injected directly into your body, can treat everything from wrinkles to overactive bladders, neck and eye spasms and headaches. Botox blocks certain chemical signals from your nerves that lead to temporary muscle paralysis. When your muscles are paralyzed they cannot perform their regular functions, yet Botox is completely safe and does not pose any threat to the body as long as it is injected.

Can Botox treatment really help with migraines?

The answer is a resounding yes. Botox treatment for migraines is done about every three months. Each session lasts anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, during which you will be injected with multiple doses of Botox to specific points that are associated with the origins of migraines, such as the bridge of the nose, the temples, forehead, the back of the head, neck and upper back. Botox injections are able to reduce the symptoms associated with migraines like vomiting, nausea, light sensitivity, over-stimulation to sounds and aversion to smells. However, not everyone experiences relief immediately following their first Botox session. It could take up to two weeks to feel some sort of migraine reprieve and for some, it may not work until after their second session.

Does Botox hurt?

Many people report a slight sting with each injection, but other than that Botox is relatively painless. In rare cases, people experience neck or back pain or weakness around the shoulders. Generally though, these side effects subside within a day or two.

Are Botox injections right for me?

Each migraine sufferer responds to treatment differently. You should consult your physician and she/he will recommend a dermatologist or surgeon for you to meet with to discuss possible Botox injections to help with your migraines.