Botulinum therapy for migraine treatment

If you have been diagnosed with migraine and suffer from frequent episodes of migraine headaches, you might be interested in what you can do to prevent it.

Onabotulinumtoxin A, or Botox, was approved in 2010 for the treatment of chronic migraine in adult patients with the following conditions:

• A history of migraine headaches;
• Headaches occurring 15 or more times per month, lasting 4 hours or more each day.

This treatment is not considered if:

• You have headaches 14 or fewer days per month;
• You have other types of headaches.

What is Botox?

Botox is a neurotoxin, a poison produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. If ingested through contaminated food, it can cause a serious illness called botulism, as it blocks nerve signals and causes muscle paralysis.

However, the toxin does not get absorbed in the stomach, and the dose used for medical treatments is much smaller than what would be ingested from spoiled food.

Botox injections help smooth wrinkles by relaxing facial muscles. It also assists people with tics and spasms due to neurological conditions like cerebral palsy.

Patients who had migraine headaches and used Botox for wrinkle correction reported to their doctors that their headaches decreased. Consequently, the medical professionals began studying Botox as a treatment for migraines.

Does Botox Help with Migraines?

In a study of adults with chronic migraines, Botox injections reduced the overall number of days with migraines and other types of headaches. Participants also experienced more “crystal clear” pain-free days and fewer health-related absences from work each month.

In another study, nearly half of the people who received two Botox injections reported that the number of headache days per month was reduced by half. After five treatment sessions, this number increased to about 70%.

Doctors believe that Botox has a positive effect on migraines because it blocks chemicals called neurotransmitters that transmit pain signals from the brain. Botox blocks this pathway, stopping the chemicals before they reach the nerve endings around the head and neck.

Treatment with Botox

You can receive multiple Botox injections in the head and neck area every 12 weeks to alleviate or prevent migraines.

A total of 30-40 injections may be required, with an equal number on both sides of the head. You will see results within 2-3 weeks after the first procedure.

Please note that this type of Botox treatment should only be administered by a doctor trained in injecting Botox for chronic migraine, not for wrinkle correction or other cosmetic purposes.

Side Effects

Botox has very few side effects. Pain at the injection site is the most common side effect for people with chronic migraines using Botox.

However, in rare cases, Botox can cause an allergic reaction in the form of hives.