<< Back

The Medical Uses of Botox: More Than Skin Deep

July 12, 2016

 

You may have heard of Botox cosmetics, but Botox’s history is more than skin deep. It is an effective therapy that has been used to treat patients with a variety of conditions for more than 20 years.

Botox, also known as botulinum toxin, is a purified protein that comes from a bacterium. In 1989, the FDA approved it for treatment of various neurological disorders, including blepharospasm  (twitching of the eyelid), muscle spasticity after stroke or associated with multiple sclerosis and another condition affecting the eyes called strabismus.

Additionally, the neurotoxin was approved to treat cervical dystonia, which is associated with muscle spasms or tightness and pain in the neck, pain when turning the head or pulling/shifting to one side, and head tremor. Cervical dystonia is a progressive condition and symptoms sometimes get worse after stress or activity. With Botox, approximately 20 percent of symptoms go away completely.

This works by stopping the nerves from releasing acetylcholine, a substance that transmits a signal from the nerves to the muscles. Botox is injected in the muscle and blocks the signals that tell it to contract. As a result, muscle spasms stop or are greatly reduced, with relief lasting up to three months. Injections can be given in the doctor’s office and repeated injections are safe. To date, it is the best known agent to reduce muscle spasticity.

Dr. Hamid R. Sami is a board-certified neurologist at Connecticut Neurological Specialists.