New Research: Botox can Relieve Post-traumatic Headaches
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Botox has topped the list of minimally-invasive cosmetic treatments for several years now. Proven effective to treat the signs of ageing and restore youthful appearance, researchers have found that it can be used to treat some non-cosmetic conditions too. FDA-approved for chronic migraine headaches, it was recently reported that Botox cosmetic injections can help alleviate post-traumatic headaches.
Neurologists from Stony Brook University report the case of five patients suffering from post-traumatic headaches who positively responded when they were treated with Botox. The patients had sustained traumatic brain injury and experienced posttraumatic headaches for a long time, in spite of trials of diverse prophylactic medications. When treated with Botox, they showed an improvement of 50% of the issue when evaluated by the MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment Scale) questionnaire. People who have suffered traumatic brain injury headaches have migraine features. Moreover, post-traumatic headaches are more likely to occur in those who have a family history of migraines. Experts point out that Botox works by blocking sensory nerve endings rather than by relaxing muscles and that explains why it is proving effective, in the treatment of headaches.
A 2013 study on 67 patients treated at the Concussion Care Clinic at Womack Army Medical Center, Ft. Bragg, NC between 2008 and 2012 reported that Botox appeared to be effective for the treatment of chronic post-traumatic headaches in soldiers with a history of mild traumatic brain injury. With 60% getting “better or much better�, it was concluded that Botox injections are safe and adequate to treat post-traumatic headaches in active duty service members. Botox is also reported to be effective in treating the medical conditions such as cerebral palsy (CP), strabismus (a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned),
cervical
dystonia
(a
painful
condition
of
the
neck
muscles),
and
blepharospasm, a condition characterized by sustained, forced, involuntary closing of the eyelids.
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