Botox, short for onabotulinumtoxinA, is a commonly used procedure to treat lines between the eyebrows and around the eyes. Approved for use in over 80 countries aroundthe world, Botox has 25 medical and cosmetic approved uses outside of just relaxing crows feet and filling in glabellar lines between eyebrows. Could you benefit from any of the following non-cosmetic uses for Botox?
• Blepharospasm / Eyelid Spasms -- Before Botox was used cosmetically, one of its original uses as approved by the FDA was to treat eye muscle spasms. Since 1989 patients with eye muscle problems 12 years old and older have found relief through Botox. How does it work? Doctors inject Botox into the muscles around the patient’s eye, which keeps the eye from involuntarily contracting and spasming.
• Excessive Sweating – If an antiperspirant alone is not cutting it to keep you from soaking through your clothes, Botox can be a solution. Since 2004, Botox has been approved for injection under the skin into the sweat glands. This process allows a patient to experience a relief in heavy sweating for about six months.
• Migraines -- For the 14 million Americans who suffer from migraines, the FDA has good news. Since 2013, you as a migraine patient can find relief in Botox, even if you categorize your migraines as severe. If you’re curious about how Botox can help migraines, honestly, doctors are not even completely sure about how it works. The most likely hypothesis is that the Botox blocks signals of pain from reaching nerve endings, providing comfort and relief from even the most severe migraine pain.
• Chronic Jaw Pain - If you are an adult who experiences bruxism, that is a grinding of your teeth, and have subsequent jaw pain, Botox can be used to relax your jaw and provide pain relief. Though it would probably not be offered as an initial treatment option, if a mouth guard and physical therapy isn’t helping your bruxism, over time, Botox may be prescribed. Talk to your dentist about how Botox could help with your chronic jaw pain.
• Chronic muscle pain and stiffness -- Since around 2012, Botox has been used to treat muscle stiffness and pain, including the neck and cervical muscle pain associated with cervical dystonia (CD). As a supplement to other treatments, Botox can block overactive nerve impulses and provide relief for those whose muscles are chronically plagued by pain, stiffness, and/or a disorder like CD.
• Overactive bladder and urinary incontinence – If you find yourself in frequent need of relieving your bladder or have the inability to hold your bladder for extended periods of time due to a spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis, it is likely your doctor will explore a variety of treatments with you to provide relief. In adults for whom traditional treatments don’t work, Botox can be an option. In one study, Botox patients saw around 20 less leakage incidents per week than those who did not use Botox.
Do you experience any of these issues? Talk to your doctor or dentist about Botox can be a potential solution. Do you have any questions about Botox? Message us to find out more and how we can help you feel better than ever.
