Although it is commonly known for its use in cosmetic procedures, botox injections also aid in treating muscular pain disorders and conditions, even for long-term relief.
In this blog, we’ll be answering the following questions:
- How is Botox used for pain relief?
- Is Botox for pain safe?
- How long does Botox last for pain relief?
- What are the ten reasons to use Botox for pain management?
- How long does it take for Botox to work for pain relief?
- What should you expect from a Botox injection procedure?
Although it is commonly known for its use in cosmetic procedures, Botox injections also aid in treating muscular pain disorders and conditions, even for long-term relief.
Some of these disorders and conditions include:
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Myofascial pain disorder
- Arthritis
- Chronic back pain
- Headaches
- Chronic neck pain
- Nerve pain
- Sciatica
How is Botox Used for Pain Relief?
A Botox procedure for pain relief involves injecting a local anesthetic into your problematic muscles, inducing a level of paralysis by blocking acetylcholine. This chemical causes your muscles to contract.
Depending on the muscles causing your pain, Botox may be injected into your face, lower back, or neck to prevent contractions from continuing.
Is Botox a Painkiller?
Botox is a painkiller because it relieves pain by relaxing the muscles causing discomfort and blocking pain response chemicals in your brain. It is typically a mixture of saline or local anesthetic and a diluted form of botulinum toxin type A, which is injected directly into your muscle in small, safe amounts. Your muscle tension will likely be relieved after about 5-10 injections around your problematic muscles.
Does Botox Stop Nerve Pain?
Given that it blocks pain response signals sent by your nerves to your brain, Botox can be injected into problematic nerves to relieve pain caused by conditions such as sciatica.
Is Botox for Pain Safe?
Botox for pain relief is a safe and effective non-surgical alternative for many pain conditions and disorders. You may experience swelling or bruising around the injection site. In rarer cases, flu-like symptoms such as nausea or headache might occur but typically resolve without further treatment.
How Long Does Botox Last for Pain Relief?
Botox is never intended to be a permanent solution for treating pain conditions, but pain relief may last up to 3-6 months, requiring periodic injections for ongoing relief.
10 Reasons to Use Botox for Pain Management
Botox injections are used to treat many different muscular and nervous conditions, including:
- Lazy eye due to imbalance in the muscles which position your eye
- Eye twitches due to contracting and twitching muscles around your eye
- Chronic migraines that occur more than half a month regularly
- Bladder dysfunction causing urinary incontinence
- Hyperhidrosis causing excessive sweating without you being hot or exerting yourself
- Cervical dystonia, where your neck muscles cause your head to turn and twist in uncomfortable positions
- Muscle contractures causing your limbs to pull inward to your center (ex: cerebral palsy)
- Myofascial pain disorder, resulting in pain caused by the inflammation of your body’s soft tissue – general muscle pain
- Sciatica, causing pain along your sciatic nerve from your lower back down to each of your legs
- Arthritis, causing swelling and tenderness in a single or multiple joints
How Long Does It Take for Botox to Work for Pain Relief?
You typically feel pain relief from Botox injections within two weeks of your procedure, lasting potentially up to 4 months.
But bear in mind–for long-term pain relief, you’ll likely need continual injections until the cause of your pain is accounted for.
What Should You Expect from a Botox Injection Procedure?
Botox injections are quick and safe, taking about 5 minutes to complete. You’ll be able to return home after the procedure. Still, we advise you to avoid contact with the area of injection for 24 hours to prevent the unintended spreading of Botox to other areas around your problematic muscles.
