Why Botox Might Be Your Answer to Headache Relief

Headache pain can be devastating for people who suffer from frequent headache or migraine episodes. Many patients can’t find a solution that works dependably for them, or that doesn’t cause side effects like gastrointestinal upset or grogginess.

At Ventura Eye Institute in Camarillo, California, our professional team of eye care specialists deliver safe, dependable headache relief with Botox® as part of their services.

Chronic headache disorder

If you suffer from headaches half or more days out of the month you might have what is classed as chronic headache disorder. This condition is estimated to affect around 4% of people worldwide. 

Losing half your life to head pain can damage your ability to go to school, work, spend time with family, and enjoy your life. When you never know if the next episode is waiting around the corner, making plans can feel impossible. You’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

If you have chronic headache disorder, it might be time to talk to a professional injector about Botox administration for headache relief.

The evolution of Botox

Injectable Botox solutions are derived from botulism A, a toxin found in spoiled foods that can cause dangerous food poisoning. However, like many other substances that are harmful in their natural state, when refined and purified, it can be used as a stable, harmless pharmaceutical agent.

Originally, Botox was used to paralyze tiny muscles in the face near the eye, helping to correct lazy eye or wandering eye (strabismus). Botox Cosmetic® was officially approved by the FDA in 2002 for paralyzing other tiny muscles in the face (the ones that cause dynamic wrinkles when you smile or frown).  

A surprising side effect of Botox Cosmetic emerged as more and more people signed up for what was becoming the top requested non-surgical cosmetic procedure in the world. Migraineurs who received Botox started reporting that the frequency and severity of their episodes were decreased.

By 2010, Botox Chronic Migraine® became FDA-approved to treat chronic headache and migraine episodes, providing relief for many people who had found no luck with oral medications, electric stimulation, or various other types of injections containing anesthetics or pain meds.

Receiving Botox for headache relief

The first thing you’ll need is a clearly diagnosed history of headache occurring 15 days or more each month. If you're looking at Botox as a solution, you probably already have this history documented; if not, you can work with your doctor to achieve the appropriate documentation.

We’ll identify where your pain is worst, and plan a series of precisely placed injections of Botox at specific pressure points in your face, the back of your neck, your shoulders, and/or your upper back, to provide maximum relief. 

Starting after your first injection series, we’ll ask you to keep a detailed journal of your headache pain. We’ll repeat the injections at the 12 week mark, and then review your headache journal with you both on that date and 12 weeks after the second round. 

Ideally, we’ll see a significant reduction in both the severity of your symptoms as well as the number of days each month that you experience migraine episodes. If the injections helped, you can continue to receive injections every 12 weeks. 

Are you ready for headache relief from chronic headache syndrome or migraine episodes? Get in touch with the team at Ventura Eye Institute. You can call the location closest to you, or book an appointment online.