Posts Tagged ‘botox’

Bruxism and TMJ

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

An Effective New Treatment for Headaches

Bruxism is a disorder of unconscious jaw clenching and teeth grinding that causes pain in the temporo-mandibular joint, a sensation of soreness and tension in the jaw as well as headaches, neck pain and even migraines. Over the years, continuous grinding wears down the teeth and can even cause cracking and severe tooth damage. Bruxism to some degree, especially at night, is very common. As long as there are no symptoms of pain or dental damage, it does not necessarily require treatment. However, once a person feels pain, he/she usually seeks a treatment for Bruxism.

Bruxism can be exacerbated by a variety of factors. Malocclusion (poor fitting together of the teeth), stress, anxiety, certain medications such as SSRI antidepressants and certain diseases such as Huntigton’s and Parkinson’s can all worsen Bruxism. Use of drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as overuse of caffeine and alcohol will frequently cause people to brux.

Treatment of Bruxism has been plagued with difficulties. Dental devices have been successful in protecting teeth from damage at night, but have not been effective at stopping the pain and soreness that accompanies severe Bruxism. Of course, the clenching and headaches do not subside with dental devices. Biofeedback, relaxation exercises and meditation have been variably effective in controlling stress with some people, but most do not find the relief that they are looking for in behavioral modification techniques like these.

Botulinum toxin (BOTOX®) has recently been seen to be very successful in treating the grinding and clenching of bruxism. BOTOX is an injectable medication that weakens muscles and is used commonly in cosmetic procedures to relax the muscles of the face and decrease the appearance of wrinkles. BOTOX was not originally developed for cosmetic use, however. It was, and continues to be, used to treat diseases of muscle spasticity such as blepharospasm (eyelid spasm), strabismus (crossed eyes) and torticollis (wry neck). Bruxism can also be regarded as a disorder of repetitive, unconscious contraction of the masseter muscle (the large muscle that moves the jaw). BOTOX works very well to weaken the muscle enough to stop the grinding and clenching, but not so much as to interfere with chewing or facial expressions. The strength of BOTOX is that the medication goes into the muscle, weakens it and does not get absorbed into the body. Side effects and allergies are unheard of. Despite the occasional brouhaha in the media, BOTOX has been shown to be one of the safest medications ever seen. Over the last 20 years and 20 million treatments, there has never been a serious complication directly attributed to the drug. This is a safety record that puts Aspirin to shame.

The treatment of Bruxism with BOTOX involves about five or six simple, relatively painless injections into the masseter muscle. It takes a few minutes per side and the patient starts feeling the effects the next day. Occasionally, some bruising can occur, but this is quite rare. The symptoms that are relieved by this procedure include:

* Grinding and clenching
* Morning jaw soreness
* TMJ pain
* Muscle tension throughout the day
* Migraines triggered by clenching
* Neck pain and stiffness triggered by clenching

The optimal dose of BOTOX has to be worked out for each person – some people have stronger muscles that need more BOTOX. This is done over a few touch up visits with the physician injector. This treatment is expensive, but sometimes BOTOX treatment of Bruxism can be billed to medical insurance (plans vary – it is a good idea to call your insurer beforehand to find out what is covered and what documentation is necessary). The effects last for 3 months or so. The muscles do atrophy, however, so after a few rounds of treatment it is usually possible to either decrease the dose or increase the interval between treatments.

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Headaches and Botox Injections

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Most people are unaware that the use of Botox for the prevention of migraine headaches came about purely by accident. It all happened through the use of Botox by plastic surgeons. Patients undergoing plastic surgery, who were also experiencing headaches, noticed that their injections of Botox helped with their migraine headaches.

Botox, also known as botulinum toxin, is a neurotoxin (a toxin that attacks nerve cells). It was originally approved by the FDA for use in conditions where hyperactivity of muscles was an underlying problem of related health and medical conditions. The theory is that Botox weakens or paralyzes muscles by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is an ester of choline that is thought to play an important role in the transmission of nerve impulses at synapses and myoneural (muscle-nerve) junctions. By inhibiting the release of acetylcholine the nerves cannot cause a muscle contraction, thus relaxing the muscle. Botox is administered by being directly injected into the affected muscles.

There are differing theories as to how Botox works to eliminate migraine headaches, but the exact reasoning remains unclear. One theory is that muscle tension and spasms are a cause of migraines and by eliminating the muscle tension with an injection of Botox it will also eliminate the cause of the headaches. If given Botox before the headache begins it is possible to eliminate the headache before it even starts.

When muscles spasm it can irritate nerves that innervate them. When these nerves send signals to the brain in an increased amount it causes pain and possibly headaches. Botox may affect these nerve cells, inhibiting their transmission, causing a lessening of the perception of pain. Many researches think that migraine headaches are a result of inflammation of blood vessels. However, muscle tension may also play an important role in the cause of headaches.

When researchers test a medication’s effectiveness they usually test it through a double-blind study. This means that some patients are given the medication being tested while others are given a placebo. A placebo is an inactive substance, such as sugar, that is given in place of the medication that is being evaluated. Some tests have been performed that did not involve double-blind studies, but showed that Botox could prevent migraine headaches. One double-blind study involving Botox and headaches showed only a small positive effect.

Initial studies may not have shown the full effectiveness of Botox for the prevention of headaches. The injections were not placed in the typical locations of the headache pain, but in areas normally injected during plastic surgery. In subsequent studies, using larger doses and injecting into more specific localities for the headache pain, the results were improved. These tests were concerning migraine headaches. However, with tension headaches, or muscle tension headaches, the studies have shown improved results. This is to be expected due to the weakening or paralyzing nature of Botox on the muscles that are experiencing tension.

When being injected with Botox for the prevention of headaches it may take several weeks before the injection takes effect. For this reason it is usually necessary to have it injected no more often than once every 3 months or so. People that have Botox administered for the treatment of headaches typically need it injected every few months. If there is too long of an interval between injections the headaches may be experienced by the patient.

However, the question arises about the safety of these regular injections of a neurotoxin. Since 1989, when it was first used as a headache treatment, it has appeared to be fairly safe. Most migraine headache medications are taken orally and eventually end up in the blood stream. Because of this common symptoms of migraine headache medication will be dizziness and drowsiness among other symptoms. Since Botox is injected directly into the muscle tissue and does not get absorbed into the blood system as does the typical headache medicine there are fewer side effects. Most commonly, the only side effects of injecting this neurotoxin is pain in the area of injection for a couple of days or drooping of the eyelids for a few days.

Studies are still being performed on this medication and as yet the FDA has not approved it for the treatment of headaches. However, physicians do prescribe it to their patients and if you think you are a candidate to use it you should discuss it with your doctor. If you do not respond to other headache medications it may be something to talk with your physician about. As the studies continue the effects and safety issues involving this medication should become more clear.

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Botox Could Be the Migraine Cure You Seek

Friday, November 20th, 2009

When you think of Botox, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me it’s people who can’t stand to deal with aging, and seek Botox injections to chase away their facial wrinkles.

The next thing is that it’s poison, and how could anyone be so vain that they’d risk injecting poison into their bodies?

But researchers are finding that Botox is much more than a cosmetic tool. It has the potential to relieve migraine headaches and muscle pain. In fact, it has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of blepharospasm (eyelid spasm), strabismus (crossed eyes), cervical dystonia (painful neck spasms), as well as wrinkles between the eyebrows.

Although not yet FDA approved for headache and migraine treatment, it is now being legally prescribed “off label” for these treatments. “Off label” is the practice of prescribing medications for conditions other than those for which the drug has already received FDA approval. This common practice is one by which new purposes are often discovered.

Botox is a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Doctors inject a small amount of the purified toxin into muscle, which weakens the muscle and blocks the chemical which causes muscle contractions.

Research into its use in headache prevention has been ongoing for years and it is widely used in alleviating the pain of muscle spasms in the neck.

What is interesting is that migraine headache is not believed to be caused by muscle spasms. Researchers are finding that Botox works by blocking the protein that carries the message of pain to the brain. Relief is not instantaneous. In fact, it may take 2 to 3 weeks to see the results of treatment.

Not everyone benefits from this treatment – just as not everyone benefits from specific narcotic drugs. The good news is that once relief kicks in, it is more effective than traditional migraine treatment, and doesn’t carry the side-effects such as upset stomach, drowsiness and weight gain that are associated with narcotic drugs.

95% of those treated reported no side effects at all, with a few reporting such things as drooping eyelids and neck muscle weakness.

But this isn’t the whole story… Research is also being conducted into the use of Botox to reduce prostrate problems. While it is still too soon to rush to the doctor for treatment, the results look promising.

Researchers at the University Hospital in Rome reported that after 2 months, men taking Botox had a significant reduction in frequent and painful urination, a drop in PSA levels, and a reduction of almost half in prostrate size.

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Botox Headache Treatment

Friday, May 15th, 2009

Suffer from Chronic Headaches?

Unless you have been completely sheltered from modern society for the past ten years or so, chances are that you have heard of Botox. Originally created from a highly diluted form of the botulism toxin, Botox has been used for years now by plastic surgeons around the globe to help men and women rejuvenate their faces and prevent wrinkles from forming. Considered a safe and noninvasive alternative to older, more barbaric forms of plastic surgery, Botox rapidly grew in popularity, as it was a quick and easy outpatient procedure that simply involved the doctor injecting some of the botulism toxin into your face in certain points. Since botulism toxin brings about a type of paralysis to your muscles, Botox essentially constricts your face and removes wrinkles in the areas where it was injected.

Although plastic surgery was, for the better part of the last decade or so, deemed the only real use for Botox, various researchers from around the country have recently discovered that Botox can be used for countless other purposes as well, including Botox headache treatments. Fortunately enough for people who suffer from chronic headaches, Botox headache treatments seem to be all the rage in certain parts of America, and may be available at a doctor’s office near you in the very near future. Essentially, the procedure for Botox headache treatment works just like you would expect it to. The doctor, probably a plastic surgeon, will fill a needle with the Botox solution and then proceed to inject it into areas of your head where your headaches have a tendency to flare up. In early clinical trials, the success rates of Botox headache treatment have been incredibly high, and have reached as much as eighty four percent in tests of people with chronic headaches. All in all, while it is still in its early phases of testing, Botox headache treatment looks to have a promising future and should be approved by government officials within the decade.

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