Shine OnBotox provides mild relief for chronic migraine sufferers: study
When most people think about Botox, they think of it as an injectable anti-aging tactic that paralyzes muscles, popular among the Hollywood set.
But Botox has been known to possess certain health benefits, as well. Astoundingly enough, the bacterial neurotoxin has been used to treat conditions such as headaches and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating.)
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But according to a new study put out by the Journal of the American Medical Association, there appears to be no change for occasional migraine or headache sufferers, yet a mild reduction in the number of migraines.
For migraine sufferers who have chronic headaches — anywhere between 17 and 20 migraines per month — there are some tangible, yet somewhat neglible benefits.
"It only reduces headaches by a couple of days a month," the study's lead researcher, Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, tells Reuters Health, who called such a result "really, really modest."
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Injections of botulinum toxin A (the active ingredient in Botox) can also cause patients to experience side effects such as muscle weakness and a stiff neck.
But for chronic migraine sufferers who can be disabled by their headaches, such side effects are downright tolerable compared to the alternative and two fewer migraines per months is two more days in which to comfortably go about their daily lives.
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