Botox for Migraine Treatment

Does Botox Work for Migraine Headaches?

OnabotulinumtoxinA, or Botox, was approved for adults who get chronic migraines. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approved Botox for chronic migraine where people have failed to respond to three oral preventive treatments and any medication overuse has been appropriately managed.

They have been a number of studies carried out on adults who get chronic migraine headaches. With receiving a treatment of Botox it cut down the total number of days they had migraines. They also had more pain-free days each month, and they reported fewer days off work.

Other studies showed that nearly half the people who took two rounds of Botox shots reported that the number of days they had a headache each month was cut in half. After five rounds of treatment, that increased to about 70% of the people.

Doctors think Botox works for migraine headaches because it blocks chemicals called neurotransmitters that carry pain signals from your brain. Botox is like a roadblock in that pathway. It stops the chemicals before they get to the nerve endings around your head and neck.

More information about the procedure:

After a successful consultation with one of our trained healthcare professionals you would get several shots of Botox around your head and neck once every 12 weeks to dull or prevent migraine headaches. To get the best results you require at least 2 treatments.

You may need 30 to 40 shots in all, and you’ll get an equal number on each side of your head. If you have migraine pain in one particular spot, you may need more shots there. You could see results 2 to 3 weeks after your first treatment.

A good response to Botox is usually a 30-50% reduction in how many headaches you have. Some people notice an improvement in their quality of life with Botox even if they don’t have a big reduction in headache days.