Chronic migraine headaches are no fun – and some people get no relief from their head discomfort even when they take medication. Now, there’s a new option – Botox injections for chronic headache pain. The FDA recently gave Botox injections its endorsement for treating migraine headaches that don’t respond to other treatments. Find out more about Botox for migraines – and whether they work.
Botox for Migraines: Can Any Migraine Sufferer Use It?
Not everyone is a candidate for Botox injections for migraine treatment. This treatment is usually reserved for migraine sufferers who deal with migraine headaches on an almost daily basis – at least fourteen days out of the month. It’s not a treatment for the person who has infrequent migraine headaches. Unfortunately, a substantial number of people fall into this category.
What is It Like to Get Botox Injections for Migraines?
Botox injections aren’t the best treatment option for people who fear needles. It takes an average of thirty Botox injections placed into various areas of the head and neck to get the benefits of Botox. As you can imagine, the injections aren’t inexpensive. You can only hope that your insurance company picks up the tab. Otherwise the cost can be substantial.
Is It Really Worth It?
Here’s the bad news about Botox for migraines. After enduring thirty needlesticks to the head and neck, Botox only reduces the number of total headaches a migraine sufferer experiences monthly by two or three. Of course, that’s two or three extra days each month, a migraine sufferer can be pain-free – so it may be worth it for some.
Are There Side Effects?
Most people don’t experience serious side effects from Botox injections for migraines. The most common complaint is headache and mild neck discomfort. The Botox toxin can potentially migrate into tissues adjacent to the injection site, which could theoretically cause problems swallowing or breathing, although there are no reports of this in the literature. It’s a relatively safe, although slightly uncomfortable procedure.
The Bottom Line?
Botox injections for migraines have the potential to modestly decrease the number of days a person experiences migraine headaches. On the other hand, it’s only approved for migraine sufferers who have very frequent migraine headaches.
It also has no benefit for treating other types of headache pain. The best plan is to try other migraine headache treatments first, and if they don’t work, keep a headache diary to see how frequently they’re occurring. If they’re occurring more than fourteen times a month, talk to your doctor about the option of using Botox.
References:
New York Times. “Botox Wins FDA Approval as Migraine Treatment”
Family Practice News. November 1, 2010. page 13.
Kristie Leong - I'm a family physician interested in all aspects of traditional and alternative medicine, especially the use of nutrition to prevent ...
