Botox

Botox for migraines?? Like you, I'm a little bit skeptical. I'm not really sure what to make of it. Afterall, isn't botox generally used for aesthetic purposes only? Botox is a muscle relaxant, used by people in Hollywoodlandia to fight the aging process. It's the modern-day fountain of youth.

So how does it help with migraine? According to Dr. Alexander Muskaup of the NY headache center, "the only possible explanation for the way it worked was that it relaxed tight muscles. It is true that during a migraine attack muscles go into a contraction and many patients find some relief by massaging their temples, back of their head and neck. Botox prevents the release of CGRP (a chemical messenger - neurotransmitter) from nerve endings and stops painful messages from being transmitted along the nerves. It appears that relaxing muscles may be less important than stopping nerves from sending pain messages to the brain".

Well, what do I know? I guess I'm pretty convinced that botox is not just for vanity anymore.