Botox for Migraine Relief

When you have a migraine, it may be so painful that you aren’t able to do your usual activities. Medications and treatments can help alleviate symptoms and make you feel better.

Botulinum Toxin (Botox) injections are approved by the FDA for treating chronic migraines in adults ages 18 or over. Chronic migraine headaches are throbbing headaches that last from 4 to 72 hours and are present for more than 6 months.

How Botox Works

Botox is a form of botulinum toxin, a neurotoxin produced by the bacteria that causes botulism. This neurotoxin temporarily reduces muscle contractions for approximately three months.

When Botox is injected around the pain fibers that cause headaches, it enters the nerve endings around the injection site and blocks the release of the chemicals involved in pain transmission. This prevents pain signals from traveling to your brain.

Getting Botox Injections

Botox aims to reduce the severity and frequency of migraine attacks. In most cases, Botox is given as a series of between 31 and 39 small injections every 10-12 weeks. These are given under the skin or into the muscles in and around the head of the forehead, above the ears, and into the neck.

Common side effects of Botox include neck pain, muscular weakness, and eyelid drooping. However, these side effects are temporary and will decrease as the treatment wears off over time.

Treatment Results

For most people, it takes approximately two treatment cycles before they can decide if the Botox improved their migraine symptoms. Improvement can be a decrease in the number of headaches you experience, milder symptoms, and less reaction to migraine triggers. It is important to communicate any changes and improvements with your provider.

Botox injections are not an effective treatment for episodic migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches.

Scheduling your Appointment

To schedule your appointment with Dr. Balkaya or Dr. Prince, call our clinic at (402) 844-8100.