Botox treatments may reduce migraine headaches

Middle aged women, especially those who have visible wrinkles on their ocular areas go to cosmetic physician for botox treatments but a recent preliminary study suggests that botox may also serve its purpose beyond its cosmetic abilities.  Botox treatments or otherwise known as Botulinum toxin type A are commonly known for its cosmetic purpose to temporary erase wrinkles, however recent study showed that it may also help prevent certain type of severe migraine headaches.  This study discovered that botox help reduce the recurrence of those migraines described as crushing, eye-popping, called ocular migraines.  Despite of its efficiency on ocular migraines it was found that other type of migraine headaches characterized as severe pressure inside the head do not respond to such botox treatment.  According to the lead researcher, Dr. Christine C. Kim; other neurologists and research team from previous study have discovered that only those with imploding ocular headaches responded to botulinum toxn A injections and the majority of other forms of severe migraine headache have no favorable response to the botox injections.

Dr. Christine C. Kim, a dermatologist in Encino California, conducted a study among 18 patients with an average age of 50.9 who were undergoing Botox injections for cosmetic purposes in which also reported migraine headaches.  10 of these patients reported the crushing, eye-popping, ocular type of migraine.  9 of them possessed the exploding or splitting head type of headaches while the remaining others have more than one type of migraine headaches.

After three months of Botox treatment, 13 of the patients reported reduction in migraine episodes.  Those patients who responded to this therapy are the 10 with ocular migraine and 3 with exploding type of headaches.  There are only 6 patients, those who have the exploding type of migraine which did not respond to the treatment.  Patients who had favorable outcome from the botox injections reported a reduced frequency of migraine episodes from almost seven days a month to just once a month.  Those with exploding type of headaches expressed a reduction of migraine episodes as well from 11.4 days a month to 9.4 days a month.

Although the rationale behind botox injection for migraine reduction remains unclear, the researchers believe that botox does not only work for muscle paralysis but it may also work by blocking pain receptors or reducing inflammation.

Every treatment has its certain specific mode of action but understanding the other beneficial property of a certain treatment is worth discovering.  Although this study led by Dr. Kim was only preliminary in nature, the finding of this study is very hopeful in the other beneficial property of botulinum toxin A injections towards migraine headaches.  Dr. Kim is hopeful enough that her study may eventually help other researchers to ignite more conducted studies to formulate a more concrete explanation behind the beneficial property of botox to migraine headaches.  Additional studies should be encouraged in order to identify proper doses, injections and locations for a purpose of helping patients reasonably, favorably, and effectively.

Dr. Kim stated that Botox may not be used a first-line therapy for migraine prophylaxis and therefore more research in this area must be revealed to utilize the effectiveness of botox to certain migraine-suffering population.  However it may be used as an alternative for some patients whom did not respond to standard prophylactic medications.

REFERNCES:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=113325

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