What is Botox?
Botox is a purified form of botulinum toxin that relieves pain and muscle spasms associated with a variety of medical conditions. When injected with Botox, it blocks the nerve signals that make muscles contract, making the targeted muscles relax.
What medical conditions does Botox treat?
Botox reduces muscle spasms caused by stroke and cerebral palsy. It also effectively treats blepharospasm, a condition in which you develop abnormal blinking or eyelid spasms.
Botox is frequently used to treat a movement disorder called dystonia, which occurs when your muscles uncontrollably contract and cause repetitive or twisting movements. Dystonia may affect one part of your body or your entire body, causing mild to severe, painful spasms.
Although Botox is often used for cervical dystonia or involuntary muscle contractions in your neck, it may be injected in other muscles throughout your body to relax them and relieve pain.
The team at the Neurological Institute of Los Angeles offers Botox injections on-site to treat chronic migraines, too. Ongoing Botox injections help some patients achieve a 50% reduction in headaches days.
What are chronic migraines?
Your migraine headaches are chronic when you experience:
- 15 or more headache days every month
- Migraines cause at least eight of your headache days
- Each migraine lasts four hours or longer
Chronic migraines generally last longer and are more painful compared to episodic migraines, which occur 14 headache days or less per month.
What should I expect during Botox treatment for migraines?
When you receive Botox for migraines, the team at the Neurological Institute of Los Angeles injects the medication into seven key muscle sites proven to prevent future migraines: Your forehead, the bridge of your nose, both temples, and the back of your head, neck, and upper back.
The team at the Neurological Institute of Los Angeles uses a small needle to minimize your discomfort during the injections. Your treatment only takes about 15 minutes, and when your session is complete, you should be able to get back to your daily routine.
Your Botox therapy starts with two treatments spaced 12 weeks apart. After two treatments, you’ll know how well Botox works for you. If you decide to continue the therapy, you’ll receive a treatment every 12 weeks to maintain your results.
If you suffer from chronic migraines, Botox injections at the Neurological Institute of Los Angeles may help prevent future attacks. To schedule an appointment, call or use the online booking feature.