How Can Botox® Treat Migraines?

The days of severe headaches and migraines being lessened by over the counter drugs or resting in a dark room may be well and truly over. Botox® has now been approved for the treatment of migraines.

The approval comes off the heels of recent studies that looked at the reduction of headaches and migraines thanks to Botox® injections. The studies showed a 10 percent reduction in the number of headache days when compared with the placebo group.

If you are unfamiliar with Botox®, the drug is generally used for anti aging treatments (think less wrinkles and frown lines in the face). The use of it toward migraine pain first came about as doctors using the drug found that their patient were more relaxed and felt less headache pains when receiving treatments for other ailments.

Migraines differ from headaches in that they are much more painful, have pinpointed places of pain, and can often be debilitating, forcing those who suffer from them to be rendered essentially paralyzed or disabled while the pain occurs. Also, a headache normally starts with a feeling of gradual pressure or tightness in the head and then increases into a feeling of a tremendous amount of pressure. A common feature of headaches is that they are felt on both sides of the head. Migraines, on the other hand, are normally felt on one side of the head.

In a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 218 study subjects suffering from headache who were given either chiropractic care or drug therapy or both experienced a 40 to 50 percent reduction in pain. More specifically, those who had chiropractic care still enjoyed the benefit of their relief.

Common signs of neck pain that's treated with Botox®

• Uncomfortable pulling in the neck
• Pains in the neck that worsen over time
• Muscle spasm and muscle tightness
• Neck pain
• Head of hand tremors
• Pain when turning head

If you are interested in Botox® injections, please call our office at 212.935.1700 to schedule an appointment!