Can Botox injections alleviate neck pain? Possibly.
By now most people are familiar with Hollywood's use of Botox injections to “refresh” maturing faces. However, a recently released study now points to Botox as a possible approach to alleviating painful medical conditions caused by spasticity and muscle tightening.
Although it’s not fully understood how Botox works, it’s thought to work by temporarily paralyzing the muscle. For those seeking a younger-looking appearance, this causes the age-slackened skin overlying the muscle to smooth out, an effect that usually lasts for four to twelve months.
Applying Botox to Neck Pain Trigger Points
In an effort to determine whether this same effect on muscles might help muscle spasms and "knots" which can cause neck pain and back pain, a study was undertaken that evaluated botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A or Botox) injected into the "trigger points" of patients with neck pain and upper back pain.
A control group of patients with the same symptoms received saline injections into their trigger points. Both groups initially responded favorably to both the saline injections and the Botox injections. However, only the Botox group had a lasting improvement when evaluated periodically in the six months following the injections.
Botox Does Work for Neck Pain, Back Pain Relief
Despite several limitations of the study, this study as well as previous studies indicates that BTX-A injections may provide pain relief for persons who suffer from neck pain and back pain when it's caused by muscle spasm and myofascial pain syndrome.
For further information, refer to: "Therapeutic Use of Botulinum Toxin Type A in Treating Neck and Upper-Back Pain of Myofascial Origin: A Pilot Study," Lew, H MD PhD; Lee, E MD PhD; Castaneda, A MD MPH; Klima, R MD; Date E MD, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol 89, no 1, January 2008.
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