How Botox® Relieves Migraine Pain and Why It May Be the Solution for You

In 2002, the FDA approved the use of Botox® for temporarily improving moderate to severe frown lines, those wrinkles in between your eyebrows. Though it’s the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic treatment in the United States, Botox does more than improve the visible signs of aging.

At Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach, Florida, our pain management experts Dr. Adam Shestack and Dr. Cy Blanco use Botox to ease many chronic pain conditions, including migraine pain. 

Here, we want to tell you how Botox works for migraines and why it may be the solution for you.

About Botox

Botox is an injectable medication that contains a purified neurotoxin — onabotulinumtoxinA — made by Clostridium botulinum. When injected in the right place in the right amounts, Botox weakens or paralyzes muscles or blocks the transmission of nerve signals.

For lines and wrinkles, Botox works by temporarily stopping the movement of the facial muscles under the skin that create the edged-in lines. Researchers are still investigating how Botox relieves migraine pain, but theorize the medication blocks the pain signals that run from the spinal cord to the brain. 

Getting Botox for migraines

Our pain specialists individualize Botox treatments for migraine pain. In general, you can expect multiple injections around the head, face, and neck. If there’s one particular spot where you feel most of the pain, our pain experts may target that area with additional injections.

The needle we use for Botox is thin and we only place a small amount of medication at each site. Though you may feel a fleeting pinch for each injection, treatment is quick and well tolerated by most.

You need to repeat your Botox injections every 3-4 months. Though some people may notice improvements in their pain within a few weeks after their first set of injections, it’s not uncommon to need multiple Botox sessions before getting relief.

Can Botox help me?

Botox is FDA-approved to treat adults with chronic migraines (15 or more migraines a month) who have head pain that lasts four or more hours. If you have chronic migraines and traditional medical interventions fail to relieve your pain, then Botox may be the solution for you. 

Though results vary, Botox for migraines may decrease the frequency (fewer headache days per month) and severity of your head pain. It works best when combined with other migraine treatments and therapies.

Botox injections also help patients suffering from chronic tension headaches.

Don’t let your migraine pain keep you locked in the bedroom. Let us help you get relief from your pain so you can live your life. Call our office at 561-331-5050 or request an appointment online today.