Botox for Chronic Migraines and Pain Now Available at Culbertson Specialty Clinic
A migraine can strike from nowhere. One minute, you’re going about your daily activities as normal. Then, with no warning, you feel lightheaded. Your vision is blurred and random spots appear in your peripherals. Before you know it, you feel like your head is being squeezed in a vice. Light and sound exacerbate pain so agonizing, it twists your stomach.
Affecting 39 million Americans each year, according to the American Migraine Foundation, a migraine is a common yet disabling headache disorder that strikes people from all walks of life and prevents those impacted from enjoying everyday activities from jobs or education to social obligations. For those suffering from chronic migraines — i.e., those with at least 15 headache attacks per month — a well-known yet surprising treatment may offer some relief.
About Botox
Botox — or botulism toxin — is a neurotoxin that is purified and used in very small doses to reduce muscle contractions for up to three months. Though commonly associated with cosmetic treatments in reducing wrinkles, Botox has been shown to relieve migraine symptoms for adults 18 and older.
“Botox is a medication derived from a purified bacteria found in nature, so it’s safe and FDA approved in many different areas of the body,” explained Dr. Daniel Kimple, MD, a neurologist at the Culbertson Specialty Clinics. “At Culbertson Memorial Neurology, we use Botox to treat many different conditions of muscles and glands, including headaches and migraines, neck pain from muscle spasms, spasms in the face and eyes, excessive sweating, and muscle tightness or spasticity in arms and legs.”
Dr. Kimple added neurological applications for Botox operate in a similar manner to cosmetic uses. Where it may be used to relax wrinkles in small doses, Botox also relaxes spastic muscle tightening that causes pain. Once injected, Botox enters nerve endings around the injection site and blocks chemical signals causing the contractions associated with pain, offering a more direct treatment for pain than oral medications.
“Many people try oral medications to control the pain of muscle spasms, but this method allows medicine to circulate throughout the body, affecting other unaffected parts,” Dr. Kimple said. “Botox injections, on the other hand, are only injected into the muscles causing pain; the muscles in turn hold the Botox in place.” About four injections are required per year, but patients may return to their normal lives immediately after each treatment. Patients report few side effects, with most finding injections quick and tolerable.
Are you suffering from chronic migraine attacks? Get convenient, local help — Dr. Kimple sees patients on the second and third Tuesdays each month at the Culbertson Specialty Clinic. To schedule an appointment, call (217) 322-5271.