Botox and Pain Management:
Apart from making people beautiful, Botox has found many other medical uses. One of them is in the management of pain. A larger dose of Botox is used to help get rid of the spasm of the muscles that creates the pain. Botox can be used for the following medical conditions:
Migraine
Chronic Neck Pain (Cervical Dystonia)
TMJ Pain
Pricing: Therapeutic Botox costs 15$/unit and includes the consult with Dr. Esmond
Insurance: Almost all insurance companies will pay for treatments involving neck pain (cervical dystonia) and Eye Lid Spasm (blepharospasm - involuntary eye closing). Some insurance companies will pay for TMJ pain and Migraine treatments as well. For coverage either fax us your insurance form or drop it off at Dr. Esmond's office. Dr. Esmond will directly bill the insurance company for prepayment of your procedure. Once approved, you will be called to come in for your treatment. Make sure to fill out your section on the insurance form and sign it.
Why does botox help with migraines?
In June 2003 at the AHS Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, the results of a major study on Botox and migraine was presented that showed 80% of headache sufferers said that their migraines were less frequent, less severe, or both.
A new study was made public in June 2005 by Dr. David Dodick, a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Arizona, USA. showing "The worse their headaches, the more frequent the attacks, the more medicine they have to take to combat the pain, the better Botox seems to work."
Botox is injected under the skin into muscles. The pain relief usually begins in about 2-3 weeks after the injections. The benefits last for about 10-13 weeks. Injections should not be given more than about every three months.
Deciding where to give the injections is really still in the experimental stages, but doctors now seem to be following a "follow the pain" concept, giving injections at the forehead, temples and neck.
There's lots of good news when it comes to Botox and migraines. First, it has had a very good safety record and tends to have many less side effects than other migraine medications. It may be especially helpful for patients who are taking a great deal of other medications and need to stop. Or, if your medication is expensive you may find that injections of Botox every 3 months is cheaper.