Botox helps in the fight against migraines

Botox combined with surgery offers hope for migraine sufferers according to new research. Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have claimed they have found a technique which can help reduce migraine attacks from up to three episodes a week down to one every couple of months.

The state that they use Botox to pinpoint particular muscles in the forehead, back of the head or temples. These muscles are often the triggers for migraines when they compress, irritate or trap nerves. Botox freezes the muscles so that they no longer compress or irritate the nerves, thus preventing the migraines, or lessening their intensity.

However, the surgery is not a long-term thing, and the botox must be re-applied at regular intervals to keep the same effects. Doctors at the medical center have said that removing the offending muscle is the only way to keep the effects permanent.

The procedure is hit and miss though. The surgeon will inject Botox into one muscle at a time, and leave the patient for a couple of days to see if the Botox has had any effect. If the Botox has had an effect, the surgeon knows he has targetted the correct muscle. If the Botox has no effect and the patient still has migraines, the surgeon knows he has targetted the wrong muscle and will inject the Botox into a different muscle instead.

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