Botox for Neck Pain, Headaches, and Back Pain

Are you looking for alternatives to oral medications to relieve neck and back pain? A recent study published in the journal Medicine reported that up to 80% of people can experience daily life-affecting back pain sometime during their lives.

Using items like ergonomic office chairs and standing desk mats can keep your body in a healthy position and may help prevent neck and back pain. Sitting up straight and comfortably can also help avoid long-term body damage. 

Suppose you still develop neck and back pain. In that case, you can consider cosmetic surgery options like botox therapy to help relieve these symptoms. Botox injections can help reduce pain by relaxing tense muscles.

This article discusses what botox is. It will also explain how botox addresses neck pain, headaches, and back pain, possible side effects, and how botox provides benefits over oral pain medications. 

What Exactly Is Botox?

Botox injections use a toxin known as “onabotulinumtoxinA” to temporarily help prevent muscle movement. Companies produce botox from this microbe that causes botulism, which is a kind of food poisoning.

Botox is well-known for its potential benefit of reducing the appearance of facial wrinkles. The toxin-based product can also reportedly help relieve the symptoms of conditions like neck spasms and prevent chronic migraines. However, more research is needed on these potential benefits.

Scientists started using the botulinum toxin in the 1970s to treat strabismus or “crossed eyes.” During the drug’s treatment tests on monkeys, researchers observed that the toxin reduced under-eye wrinkles in the skin between the nose and eyebrows.

Allergan was the first company to license botulinum toxin as a medical treatment. The company branded its product as Botox.

Afterward, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Botox for several medical and cosmetic uses.

How Does Botox Address Neck, Back, and Head Pain?

Botox injections may help relieve or prevent the symptoms of various types of pain.

Neck Pain

Neck pain is a quite common condition. Research shows that up to 70% of people can eventually experience neck pain affecting their day-to-day lives.

You can get botox injections for various types of neck pain, including muscle spasms, nerve pain, and neck pain caused by stress, and anxiety.

In 2000, the FDA approved Botox to help relieve cervical dystonia. This condition causes the involuntary contraction of neck muscles.

Botox may help relieve neck pain by paralyzing particular muscles. However, make sure to learn about the possible side effects before undergoing Botox injections for neck muscles.

Some patients have reported significant reductions in neck pain within a month after Botox injections. However, the effects can differ among various patients.

Back Pain

Common symptoms of back pain can include:

• Sharp pain occurring in the upper or lower back
• Continuous aches or stiffness along the spine
• Chronic pain in the middle or lower back
• Pain or spasms in the lower back when standing straight
• Back pain that radiates to other areas such as the thigh, calf, and toes

Botox injections may help relieve persistent, life-affecting back pain caused by muscle spasms.

The injections seem to relieve back pain by blocking the brain’s neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers signal muscles to contract. Reducing contractions can help decrease tension and pain.

Still, you should consult your doctor before any Botox injections. Some people experience side effects following the treatment.

Headaches and Migraines

Up to three-quarters of the world’s adults aged 18 to 65 have experienced headaches within a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Many people believe that migraines are severe headaches. However, a headache is merely one symptom of migraines.

A migraine is a neurological disease involving nerve chemicals and pathways. Here’s how they work. Changes in brain activity impact blood in the brain and tissues surrounding it.

Migraines can cause various symptoms, including severe head pain. People with migraines can also experience nausea, dizziness, and extreme fatigue. 

Researchers are investigating how Botox injections may help relieve migraine pain. Studies suggest that the drug interrupts the brain’s pain transmission to nerves extending from the spinal cord. 

Migraines cause the body to release neurotransmitters and pain-associated molecules. Botox interferes with the substances’ transmission and is usually where the nerves and muscles connect.

Some researchers believe when a medical professional injects Botox into the muscles around the face, head, and neck, the nerves absorb it. This process may interfere with pain transmission.

However, experts must complete more studies on Botox’s possible benefits for headaches and migraines.

Possible Side Effects of Botox Injections

Botox injections can possibly cause side effects, including:

• Pain or swelling in the injection site
• Headaches
• Flu-like symptoms
• Excessive tearing or eye dryness
• Crooked smile or drooling

Does Botox Provide Benefits Over Oral Medications Alone?

If you’ve used oral pain medication in the past, you may consider Botox as a treatment option. Botox is very localized.

The treatment also generally doesn’t have some of the severe complications of pharmaceuticals, such as fatigue, dizziness, and sedation.

One study reported that 56% of the individuals who underwent acupuncture as adjuvant therapy experienced at least a 20% reduction in pain and disability. That being said, acupuncture as a complementary treatment for cervical dystonia has been regarded as safe and feasible.

However, you should still consult your doctor about Botox injections or acupuncture therapy for pain management.

Visit manhattanspine.com today and request an appointment to help achieve the health and vitality you deserve.

Author: Casey Bloom

References

1. Trends in diagnosis of painful neck and back conditions, 2002 to 2011 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440123/

2. Botox injections for pain management. https://www.medstarhealth.org/services/botox-injections-pain-management

3. Understanding back pain – symptoms. https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/understanding-back-pain-symptoms

4. Botulinum toxin type A injections: adverse events reported to the US Food and Drug Administration in therapeutic and cosmetic cases. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16112345/

5. Cervical dystonia. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cervical-dystonia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354123

6. Botulinum Toxin Injectables for Migraines. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/botulinum-toxin-injectables-for-migraines

7. Headache disorders. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/headache-disorders

8. Botox injections. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/botox/about/pac-20384658

9. Migraine vs. Headache: How to Tell the Difference. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/november/migraines-vs-headaches

10. Acupuncture as Adjuvant Therapy for the Management of Cervical Dystonia. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6106756/