BOTOX – Different Uses

Wrinkles

Wrinkles are an inevitable part of the aging process. However, many are developing wrinkles prematurely which can cause them to feel old or tired looking. There are two types of wrinkles: dynamic wrinkles and very fine lines and wrinkles. Dynamic wrinkles are caused by facial movements; when you smile, laugh, frown or squint. These are often found around your lips, forehead and between your eyebrows. They are commonly referred to as ‘crows feet’. Everyone is born with dynamic wrinkles, as we age these become more pronounced.  Very fine line wrinkles are caused by aging and sun damage. Collagen is a protein that lies just beneath the skin in layers, as the collagen becomes thinner, the skin on your face begins to stretch and sag – creating fine wrinkles. Botox can reduce the look of both dynamic wrinkles and fine line wrinkles, giving you a more youthful appearance!

Eye Care

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Botox for the treatment of strabismus (crossed eyes) and a side effect known as diplopia (blurred vision). Another eye problem it could help with is blepharospasm (eyelid spasms).

So how does it work? Each one of your eyes has six muscles, two of those muscles allow your muscle to move back and forth. These two muscles work in unison by working against each other. Each eye pulls the other in the opposite direction. If one of those muscles becomes stronger than the other it will result in pulling the other eye much further – causing your eyes to look in different direction, ‘cross eyed’ if you will.

Nerve damage and strokes can cause this problem to occur, because the stronger eye muscle is always contracting – causing it to be tight all the time. By using Botox to treat the issue, it allows the stronger muscle to relax – which in turn gives the weaker one a chance to regain strength.

For some, the  issues of eye problems such as eyelid spasms (blepharospasms) can actually cause their eye not to open.  Daily tasks such as driving become impossible. Being able to treat this problem can be life altering for them. When used safely, Botox can improve common vision disorders and provide relief for many people with these eye problems.

Migraines

It’s estimated that chronic migraines affect 37 million adults and an estimated 5 million children. In 2010 the FDA approved Botox to treat chronic migraines.

Migraines often start with throbbing pain on one side of the head. In children it can affect both sides. They can also precursor with nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light and sound, and even changes in temperament and personality can occur. Approximately 20 percent of those who suffer from migraines, including children, also experience pre-headache symptoms, that can start up to an hour or so before a headache.

Doctors inject Botox around pain fibers that are involved in headaches. The Botox then enters the nerve endings where it is injected and then blocks the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission. This prevents activation of pain networks in the brain, which in then stops the migraine pain.

Botox is able to prevent migraine headaches before they start, but takes time to work. Patients see increasing benefit with an increase in the number of treatment cycles, generally seeing improvement on the second or third round. A single treatment lasts for 10-12 weeks, with patients reporting that with just two Botox treatments was able to reduce their number of daily headaches by half.

Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder isn’t a disease, it’s a reaction to the symptoms related to the function of your bladder. Do you have an overactive bladder? Here are some simple questions you can ask yourself to find out:

• Do you have the urge to urinate right away?
• Do you urinate at least 8 times a day and over twice a night?
• Have you ever leaked urine?

If you said yes to at least two of these questions, you may have an overactive bladder.  Thankfully in 2013 the FDA approved the use of Botox to treat an overactive bladder.

Botox is an effective treatment because it is able to calm the nerves that are over stimulating your bladder which cause you feel that urgent need to go. Doctors inject Botox into your bladder muscle, which goes directly to the source of the problem. The procedure takes a minimum of half an hour , most of that is just a waiting period to ensure that your body is tolerating the Botox, most people tolerate the injection well.

Botox does take time to start working, but most patients notice an improvement within two weeks!

Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis)

Since 2004 Botox has been used for excessive sweating, but more and more patients are using it as a way to eliminate sweat all together, even when they don’t have excessive sweating. How does it work though?

When injected into the desired area, Botox stops the nerves from firing. By blocking the intake of acetylcholine, a compound found throughout the nervous system that functions as a neurotransmitter, it tells your muscles to contract. When Botox is injected it blocks the message that tells your glands to secrete sweat – so no more sweating!

Sweating is vital to our bodily function, as it keeps us from overheating and regulates our internal temperature. This is why Botox is only used as a localized treatment. Stopping the sweat in one area will no affect the other areas of the body – this way your not doing any harm to yourself! The treatment usually lasts for about six months, and takes about a week to fully kick in.

Chronic Pain

Long before Botox was used as a cosmetic procedure it was used as a muscle relaxant.  Botox works by blocking neurotransmitters in your body that tell your muscles to contract. By blocking this signal, you stop the contractions. No contractions means no pain!

Botox is great for treating chronic pain because it is injected directly onto your pain trigger points. The benefit of Botox injections over drugs taken orally, is there are relatively no side effects and it lasts much longer.

Botox is commonly used to treat Myofascial Pain Syndrome, or MPS. MPS is a pain syndrome where all pain points are triggered. When touched, these triggers can cause not only extreme localized pain but also pain in other areas. Botox is helpful when injected on these pain point because it creates long lasting muscle relaxation which creates substantial pain relief.

Depression

New studies are showing that Botox could be an option for treating depression. Around 16.1 million Americans suffer from depression every day. Many people combat this with a combination of medications and therapy to help manage it.

But Botox could be an effective new treatment option. Scientist believe that the benefits of Botox have to do with the facial feedback mechanism. This theory states that your facial movement can affect your emotions. For example, if you were forced to smile at an event, you would end up enjoying that event more than you would if you had frowned the entire time.

When people are depressed their frown muscles are more frequently used. By injecting Botox this blocks the use of those muscles, which in turn could result in improved mood.

Doctors are still learning how exactly Botox is working to improve your mood, but it appears to be an effective treatment with little to no side effects. Botox should be used with your antidepressants, and you should always consult with your doctor before going off any antidepressants.

Acne

Botox is great for treating severe acne because it slow down oil production, which in turn can help stop breakouts. Oily skin can be the top culprit for unwanted acne. By injecting small amount of Botox on the affected area, it reduces the production of that unwanted oil.