Botox, famous for smoothing out wrinkles in the face, was approved by the FDA to treat chronic migraine headaches in adults. In a quick, in-office procedure, patients receive a series of injections at specific sites on the head and neck, to decrease the severity and frequency of future migraine attacks. First response can be considerable (a decrease of 8 days per month in chronic migraine).  Further response and even greater improvement may develop with repeated doses over time.

Botox interrupts signal transmission by the nerve cells to the muscles producing muscle fiber paralysis by disrupting the normal functioning of the neuromuscular junction.  The effect occurs after an average of 3 to 5 days and persists for an average of three to four months.  The FDA approved Botox for chronic migraine, based on the results of two studies, PREEMPT 1 and PREEMPT 2. These studies, published in the March 2010 issue of Cephalalgia, and involving 1,384 adults in North America and Europe, demonstrated that patients treated with Botox experienced a major decrease in the frequency of headache days.

Our physicians will determine if Botox is the right treatment for you.  Once medical need and criteria is determined, this treatment may be covered by insurance.