Botox: Reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and now curing
migraines?
Most people are familiar with Botox. Many of us have seen the
footage on television showing a doctor injecting this clear
wonder solution into the facial skin of some patient searching
for the lost fountain of youth. But did you know that Botox has
also moved into the arena of helping people solve some more
mainstream problems such as strokes, cerebral palsy and
migraines? In the past year or so, much research and
experimentation has shown that this wrinkle cure is also useful
in helping people with more serious medical problems.
Botox is derived from the same botulin toxin that is found in
spoiled foods. A sterile and purified version of this toxin,
known as Botulinum toxin type A, is what doctors use to reduce
wrinkles. It is injected just under the skin. The toxin simply
blocks the nerves in the muscles from receiving the signal to
contract, thereby causing them to relax more. The net result is
that the process of wrinkle formation is reduced. The process
must be repeated every 3 to 6 months because the effect wears
off.
This same muscle relaxing effect has been found to be beneficial
in treating other ailments where the muscles are known to spasm
or freeze up causing pain and discomfort. At the neurology
clinic at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary Canada, Dr. Oksana
Suchowersky has been using Botox for years to treat facial
spasms and more recently, migraine headaches.
In addition, Montreal urologist Dr. Jacques Corcos, has been
using Botox to treat patients with poor bladder control. By
injecting Botox into the bladder of patients, they are able to
live a more comfortable life, relieving them from the mercy of
numerous bathroom visits.
At the University Medical Center in Texas, Dr. Gabor Racz has
been using a combination of Botox and phenol injections to
relieve crippling pain in patients suffering from chronic
neurological syndrome. This is a condition where patients
experience severe pain, burning, sensitivity and sometimes
swelling, often in their hands.
At Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, in
Winston-Salem, N.C., Botox is also helping stroke patients. Dr.
Allison Brashear has been using Botox to help stroke victims get
back to helping themselves live a more pain free life. With
repeated injections, he has helped patients recover so that they
can perform everyday activities without much pain. It has been
estimated that perhaps 10% of stroke survivors could benefit
from Botox treatments.
Since its initial approval for medical use in 1998, more and
more, doctors have found important and life changing uses for
Botox. The current estimate is that within 3 years, the FDA will
grant approval to Botox for the treatment of migraines. So, if
you simply want to take a few years off your face or stop
crippling pain or correct an overactive bladder, your next trip
to the doctor may very likely contain a conversation about Botox
and how it can help you.