Thursday, July 12, 2007

Botox Injection Treatments for Migraines

Migraines are serious medical conditions for many people and although there are a variety of treatments for migraine pain, few are considered desirable treatments by patients. Botox injections are a relatively new treatment available, and migraine sufferers are reporting positive results with less after effects than with more traditional treatments. The discovery of Botox as a headache pain reducer happened purely by accident, yet it is now one of the more promising techniques for dealing with migraines.

Migraine attacks are painful episodes where sufferers have debilitating discomfort in the head. The pain associated with migraines is very intense. Researchers have suggested that migraine conditions are associated with a predisposition to strokes. Dealing with migraines proactively rather than just living with them, as people have done in the past is very important. The quality of the migraine sufferer is often not even a consideration of many traditional therapies. They were focused on relieving the pain somehow. The patient was left to do what they could to deal with the personal consequences of these attacks which could last for long periods of time.

The source or cause of migraines isn’t understood well enough, however a variety of approaches are recommended by doctors and other health care professionals to deal with the disorder. The two main approaches to managing migraines are (a) preventive and (b) abortive. Abortive therapy for migraine attacks seeks to control the factors that lead to an attack.

Preventative treatments are used when a sufferer has few attacks. Doctors may prescribe drugs used to lower blood pressure, anti-depressants, anti-seizure medications, and anti-histamines. Here it the issue may be an inflammatory tissue problem that generates the pain.

Each individual patient may have different symptoms and underlying medical conditions that result in the migraines, so each will need a different treatment. Pain medications such as Advil, Aspirin and Tylenol are old reliables when it comes to treating headache pain, however migraines are not a typical form of headache. Many sufferers took pain medications for years only to find they wouldn’t work any longer. That’s lead to the search for new solutions and treatments for sufferers.

Some research has suggested muscle tension may be a causative factor. Certainly, as a migraine sufferer endures years of pain and is missing work and not enjoying their social and family life, they will begin to tense up. This is where blood pressure can rise and anxiety and depression can result. Muscle tension can occur in the patient’s scalp and head region.

Botox injections are treatments where a trained health professional injects small amounts of a substance called Botox into specific muscles in the individuals face and scalp areas. Botox is a trademarked substance manufactured exclusively by Allergan Inc. of Irvine California. Allergan distributes the product to a variety of doctors, clinics and qualified health care professionals for administering to patients who need them. Botox is well known as a beauty treatment, but through clinical use, it was discovered that it could be used in the treatment of headaches and even chronic sweating conditions.

Botox is made from a naturally occurring and common poison called Clostridium botulinum. In large doses it is toxic, but in small injectable doses, it can prevent muscle nerves from sending and receiving impulses. When injected into a muscle, the muscle relaxes. In beauty treatments, it causes unattractive facial wrinkles and skin folds to soften. The presence of deep lines and folds on skin gives you an idea of how prolonged muscle tension can affect bodily tissues. In the case of muscles on the scalp, the tension in them can put pressure on parts of the skull and create aches. With the inhibiting effect on neuroligical transmission, certain neurological pain transmitters are also inhibited. The collective result is the diminishment of headache.

Use of Botox injections for migraines doesn’t mean the underlying condition is resolved, however for many sufferers, relief from painful, debilitating migraines is all they want.

Pure Med Spa has trained professionals who administer Botox injections for migraines. Learn more about Botox for headaches at www.puremedspa.com.

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