Botox for Headaches

Headaches and Pain from Chronic muscle Tension affects millions of Americans.

Botox can really help with certain types of Headaches and Chronic Muscle Tension

• Botox can be used to help relieve muscle tension that could be causing headaches.
• A survey found that 99% of patients using Botox for chronic migraine prevention said they will continue with treatments.
• Botox, was approved in 2010 for adults who get chronic migraines
• In a study of adults who get chronic migraine headaches, shots of Botox cut down the total number of days they had them or even other types of headaches. They also had more "crystal-clear" -- pain-free -- days each month, and they reported fewer days off work.
• In another study, nearly half the people who took two rounds of Botox shots reported that the number of days they had a headache each month was cut in half. After five rounds of treatment, that increased to about 70% of the people.
• Doctors think Botox works for migraine headaches because it blocks chemicals called neurotransmitters that carry pain signals from your brain. Botox is like a roadblock in that pathway. It stops the chemicals before they get to the nerve endings around your head and neck.
• You'll get several shots of Botox around your head and neck once every 12 weeks to dull or prevent migraine headaches.
• The medication typically is injected into muscles of the forehead, scalp, neck and shoulders depending on where you muscle tension is coming from
• Providing Botox treatments for headaches every three months is a national standard, as recommended by the American Headache Society.