Migraine Botox® Treatment

• Patients who have 15 or more headache days a month lasting 4 or more hours
• Patients whose chronic migraines are inadequately treated by medication and patients who don’t want to have to have to take migraine medications regularly
• Patients who want to enjoy some of the triggers they have to avoid – chocolate, aged cheese, wine, coffee, spicy foods, citrus fruit, etc.

Botox® helps migraines by regulating the chemicals (neurotransmitters), proteins and receptors in the nerves that carry pain signals in the brain.  This prevents the activation and sensitization of nerves responsible in the development of chronic migraines. 

Botox® Treatments are found to be very effective for migraines. Individuals who opt for this procedure do not only see an improvement in the frequency of their headaches, but it also improves the severity. 

Studies conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Botox® for migraines have shown a success rate of 75% after the participants undergo three sessions of Botox®. The studies have also found Botox for migraines to be safe and well tolerated by the majority of individuals.

 The headaches that are found to respond best to Botox treatment are chronic forms of migraines. This means Botox® may be most effective for an individual who experiences at least 15 days or greater of migraines in one month lasting 4 hours or longer. 

In addition, experts believe that the more frequent the headaches experienced by the patient, the more effective the results of Botox® injections will be. 

Hence, an individual with less than 15 days of migraines in a month or those who rarely encounter it may not benefit as much as someone who experiences it regularly.

 During the initial consultation with the doctor, before getting Botox® injections, you may be advised to stop taking certain medications such as anti-inflammatories. You may also be asked about any previous Botox® injections you have received, their effectiveness, and if they have been within the past four months. 

 BOTOX® is a locally administered procedure that takes about 15-30 minutes once every 3 months and the injections may feel like tiny pinches.

When Botox® injections are being used for the treatment of migraines, they are localized to the muscles whose contraction is responsible for causing the Migraine in the first place. For the majority of patients, there are seven points where the Botox® injection is administered. These include the forehead, the temples, the bridge of the nose, and the backside of the head, neck and right above the shoulder blades. Comprehensive assessment is important for any customization of the treatment.

It's an excessive amount of sweating, which is a physiological reaction that provides the body's heat balance with respect to the external environment. 

In primary sweating, which is not caused by a particular disease, the sympathetic nervous system and sweat glands are locally overactive. 

Botox®  blocks the nerve conduction in the application area responsible for activating the sweat glands causing sweat formation.

The effects of Botox® application in the arm pit can be effective from 4-12 months but has been observed  last for up to 14 months when used in the treatment of under arm sweating. 

Mild discomfort at the time of Botox treatment, occasional bruising may occur. Side effects are minimized by having a trained injection specialist assess & manage your care. Topical anesthetic may be used. Dr. Benard is well-respected and experienced physician with specialized training to ensure optimal safety.

Injections into the facial muscles does not only lead to the elimination of fine lines and wrinkles, but it also works as an effective treatment for jaw clenching and teeth grinding. 

Injecting Botox® into the muscles that contract during chewing causes relaxation of these muscles. This releases tension in the jaw and also prevents teeth grinding and the resulting pain and soreness in the surrounding muscles. 

Botox® also helps balance out the jawline, which may become square in shape due to the enlargement of the masseter muscle.

 While you may leave the office right after the completion of the procedure, you may have to wait a while before noticing the results of Botox®. According to data collected from health clinics, many individuals can see the results of Botox® for clenching/ teeth grinding within 1-2 days.

However, for some patients, it may also take up to 2 weeks to experience the true effectiveness of the procedure. 

The major changes you may notice when your Botox® becomes effective are the reduction in clenching, teeth grinding, headache and tension in the muscles of mastication.

Botox® application is initially every 3 months. However, after 1-2 years of treatment, the frequency of treatments may decrease as the muscles become weaker over time. 

The results of Botox® may vary from individual to individual based on a number of factors. These may include the age of the patients, the volume of Botox® injected, the targeted muscles, and the patient’s metabolism. On average, the results of Botox® lasts between 3 months to 6 months and will need repeated injections.

Since the effects of Botox last between 3 months to 6 months in most individuals, it may be repeated every 4 or 6 months. However, over time the facial muscles may get trained to contract less than they did before, causing the effects of Botox to last longer. 

If you are getting Botox® for the management of jaw clenching/teeth grinding, the doctor will mainly target your jaw muscles, also known as your mastication muscles. 

These muscles are responsible for causing the clenching movement of the jaw during chewing.

The most important of these muscles is the masseter muscle, which is the primary target for this procedure. However, you may also get a Botox® injection to your frontalis and temporalis muscles found on your forehead and temples, respectively as they are also involved. This will be decided after a comprehensive assessment.