Botox Injections: New Solution for Muscle Pain?

Neck and back pain will affect approximately 70 percent of adult Americans. And, if you’ve experienced it first-hand, you know it’s difficult to find relief. Standard therapies include anti-inflammatory agents, antidepressants, and narcotics. However, a new and perhaps surprising treatment has emerged: Botox.

A recent study involving 29 participants with neck and back pain was conducted. Half the group had “trigger points” injected with Botox and the other half received saline injections.

The group receiving Botox experienced diminished pain that lasted three to four months after the injection. While these results aren’t conclusive, it’s certainly sufficient reason to do more studies with a greater portion of the population.

Not only is there a chance that this could open new avenues for pain relief, it’s important to note that not one adverse reaction to the injections occurred.  Botox is normally thought to be only a cosmetic remedy for lines and wrinkles. But this study implies that it might have important uses that are more than skin deep.

For more information: “Therapeutic use of botulinum toxin type A in treating neck and upper-back pain of myofascial origin: A pilot study,” H. Lew, MD, PhD; E. Lee, MD, PhD; A. Castaneda, MD, MPH; R. Klima, MD; E. Date, MD, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, volume 89, issue 1, p.75-80, January 2008.