What is Botox?
Botox is a purified form of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. It works by blocking the nerve transmission to certain muscles. This helps smooth dynamic wrinkles caused by expression, such as smiling or frowning, but is also effective in blocking nerve signals that communicate pain.
How does Botox work?
When a small amount of Botox is injected into muscles, it blocks certain nerve signals that control muscle activity. This makes Botox effective against chronically tense or contracted muscles.
Botox offers a non-surgical solution to many chronic pain conditions caused by muscle contraction and tension. Injections are targeted to the areas of your pain. They help you avoid the unwanted side effects that sometimes come with oral pain medications.
What types of pain can Botox be used to treat?
Botox can be effective in a number of different pain scenarios resulting from muscle tightness or dysfunction, including:
- Chronic neck and back pain
- Pain from muscle spasms
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee
- Joint pain
- Pelvic muscle pain
- Jaw pain
The team at SPARCC may also recommend Botox for chronic pain conditions like myofascial pain syndrome.
How is Botox used to treat migraine and headache pain?
Botox injections are FDA-approved for chronic migraines (defined as 15 or more episodes per month). Studies also suggest the purified toxin can help prevent tension headaches in chronic sufferers.
The doctors at SPARCC inject Botox into key areas of the head and neck in a treatment that lasts about 15 minutes. You go home right afterward and don’t need to take any time off from your daily routine.
The Botox relaxes muscles so headaches don’t even have the chance to start.
Do Botox injections hurt?
Botox injections are done using a very fine needle. The treatments are quick and most people tolerate them quite well. The doctors may numb the area to be treated prior to injection with ice or a topical anesthetic.
To learn more about Botox treatments for migraines and chronic pain, call SPARCC 303-282-7772 or use the online tool to book an appointment.