Botox For Back Pain Relief Has Been Recommended By Some Doctors

The drug Botox has been created from the toxin named botulinium. This toxin has been known to grow on food in such a way that it can kill someone eating it. Then, how is it possible that Botox for back pain relief is effective? When many of us suffer from back pain, and all of us are trying various forms of treatment, we should also know something about this drug that is also used to treat chronic pain.

This drug has many more uses like treating muscle spasms, eye wrinkles, and softens and smoothens out wrinkles on the skin, and so on. Talking about back pain, Botox actually uses its power to paralyse the tissues of the muscles to get rid of the pain in patients.

Botox For Back Pain Relief

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Botox was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating wrinkles. Since then, the drug formulated from botulinum toxin — one of the deadliest substances on earth — has become a billion-dollar business, as well as fodder for late-night comedians and gossip columnists because of the “frozen-face” effects it can produce in some too-enthusiastic fans.

 

But Botox, which first won FDA approval in 1989 as a treatment for crossed eyes and eye spasms, can do more than smooth out furrowed brows. The drug works by blocking the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from muscles, forcing them to relax — which can help to relieve chronic pain and other health conditions.

 

Botox Treatment for Pain

 

Here are just a few of Botox’s approved and experimental therapeutic uses for pain:

 

Headache. In 2010, Botox won FDA approval to prevent chronic migraine headaches. Allergan, the manufacturer, says that Botox can prevent the recurrence of migraines for up to three months when used as directed — which means undergoing up to 39 injections into different sites in the head and neck. A Mayo Clinic case study presented at the 2011 American Academy of Neurology meeting suggests that Botox may also help a specific type of head pain known as low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) headache, which is caused by an internal leak of spinal fluid.

 

Arthritis. In preliminary reports, Botox was found to help shoulder, knee, and hip pain caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. One small study of patients with arthritis shoulder pain found that 38 percent of those who got a single Botox injection showed improvement on pain scores, compared with 9 percent who got a placebo shot. Allergan is currently seeking FDA approval for arthritis treatment with Botox.

 

Back pain. A 2001 study found that 60 percent of patients with chronic back pain who received Botox injections had pain relief for three to four months; however, a Cochrane review of several studies of Botox for lower back pain and sciatica says there isn’t enough evidence that the drug works better than placebo, acupuncture, or standard treatments like steroids for these conditions. Botox is not FDA-approved for treating back pain.

 

Nerve pain. Otherwise known as neuropathy, this type of pain that affects the hands, feet, and legs is common in diabetes. A study published in the journal Neurology found that 44 percent of patients with nerve pain found relief after Botox was injected into skin at the top of the foot. Botox is not FDA-approved for treating neuropathy.

 

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So there you go – the same drug that is used to treat wrinkles is also injected into the spine at the region where back pain occurs. The effect of no pain after the use of this drug may last more or less up to 3 months. However, if it manages to break the cycle of pain, then the result may last for months. The only thing of concern about this drug is that it is expensive. But still, Botox for back pain relief is a medicine that has been proven effective. It has already been used to successfully treat many patients up until now.

For more information about these types of techniques and general information about back pain relief be sure to grab a copy of the free Seven Day Back Pain Cure that is available on our website.