Botox Injections: Your New Ally in Battling Debilitating Migraines

When you’re in the midst of a migraine attack, all you want to do is lie down in a dark, quiet room until the pain goes away. But if you have several migraine headaches a week, escaping to your safe place isn’t always feasible.

Migraine treatments have made major advancements in recent years, working better and causing fewer side effects than previous treatments. Botox® injections are helping many people with chronic migraines find relief from their pain so it no longer interferes with their lives.

At Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine in Addison, Texas, our pain management expert, Dr. John East, provides the most up-to-date treatments for migraine sufferers, including Botox injections for those battling debilitating chronic migraines.

In this month’s blog, we want to talk about Botox and how it can help your battle against migraines.

About Botox

Botox is best known for erasing facial lines and wrinkles, but the injection also treats medical conditions like chronic migraines.

Botox is a neurotoxin that temporarily blocks nerve endings from receiving the messages they need to function properly. It’s most often used to reduce muscle contractions, but Botox also stops nerves that transmit pain messages to your brain. 

How Botox works

Migraines are a neurological condition — any disorder that affects the structure or function of your nervous system (brain, spinal cord, or nerves).

Researchers are still investigating the cascade of events that cause migraines, but theorize that nerve fibers in the membrane that protects your brain and spinal cord are the source of the head pain. When activated, these nerve fibers release neurotransmitters and molecules that send pain signals to your brain.

Botox blocks the nerve fibers, preventing the release of the neurotransmitters and molecules responsible for your pain. The injection also stops muscle contractions that may contribute to your pain.

Botox for migraines

Botox injections are a newer treatment option for migraines, and it’s primarily used to treat chronic migraines — 15 or more migraine headaches a month. Botox is a preventive treatment for migraines, reducing the severity and frequency of your headache pain. 

We inject the medication into the muscles around your face, head, and neck. You may need more than 30 injections, but the process is quick and relatively painless.

Though results vary, Botox injections may cut monthly headache days in half. So, chronic migraine sufferers may have fewer than eight headache days in a month. 

Botox only temporarily blocks the pain signals, so we repeat the injections every 3-4 months to get the best results. Though some people notice improvements in their pain after the first set of injections, it’s not unusual to need multiple treatments before getting relief.

Botox is a game-changer for people with debilitating migraines. If your migraines are affecting your quality of life, we can help. Call our office today at 972-380-0000 or use the book online button to schedule an appointment anytime.