More to botox than a pretty face
THINK botox and The Real Housewives and the terrifyingly smooth appearance of ageing celebrities come to mind.
However, of the $5 billion worth of the botulinum toxin sold worldwide last year, more than half was put to medical use.
Botox can be a life-changing treatment for patients with chronic conditions ranging from pelvic pain and bladder leakage to teeth-grinding, excessive sweating and even depression and atrial fibrillation.
“Despite the fact it’s the most toxic biological substance known to mankind, it’s also a safe and straightforward treatment with few complications,” said neurologist Paul Darveniza, who uses botox to treat mi graine, voice disorders, involuntary neck spasms and a range of other conditions at St Vincent’s Clinic in Sydney.
“Usually, by the time patients come to me, they’ve tried everything else, but botox is becoming increasingly popular and people are asking to try it.”
Five common medical conditions that can now be treated with botox are: bruxism (clenching or grinding your teeth at night, often treated with a plastic mouthguard); incontinence; perineal pain; mild depression; and migraine.
“Nobody knows precisely how botox works for migraines,” Darveniza said.
However, injecting the temples, forehead, scalp and neck has been shown to alleviate the two main types of migraine, classic and chronic.
It’s thought that the botulinum toxin helps to reduce abnormal muscle contractions that contribute to migraine symptoms.