Could Botox Be Used For Chronic Back Pain?
Botox is not for cosmetic use only; people with chronic back pain can also consider using this drug. It is the same drug used to smoothen out wrinkles and relieve unrelenting, life-limiting pain caused by muscle strain.
Pain Management
In fact, Botox was initially approved by the Food and Drug Authority in year 1989 to cure muscle contractions brought about by cervical dystonia. So even before it was discovered as the phenomenal new anti-aging treatment, physicians already knew its ability to relax muscles.
It works by impeding the neurotransmitter that tells the muscles to contract. Therefore, if there is no indicator from the neurotransmitter then there would be no contraction, pressure and pain on your part. That is what doctors notice when they treat their patients with chronic back pain. Even if Botox is not approved by the FDA to treat muscle pains, some pain management specialists still use it.
Pain management specialists use Botox to treat headaches, neck pains, facial pains and back pains caused by chronic muscle spasm. They find it very helpful in alleviating their patients pain. Since the drug is given locally, there is generally no side effects like sedation, fatigue compared to orally administered drugs. Nevertheless, you still need to have repeated treatments to achieve the therapeutic effect.
Important Considerations
Botox is not a universal remedy, even though it seems that it is a magnificent drug that could be used by everybody. Not only can it make you look younger, it can also ease any pain that you feel, which is a part of ageing. Still, before opting to use Botox as treatment for chronic back pains, physicians and specialists need to think about some considerations. Aside from the fact that repeated treatment is needed, doctors and patients alike should consider these things:
1. The Cost: the cost of treatment varies by the amount of Botox used, how concentrated the solution is and who is giving the injection. This is not a cheap procedure at all, one vial of Botox can cost around $500, and majority of that cost is passed on to the client.
2. Not Approved by FDA: Since the FDA does not approve it and it is not a common treatment for back pains, it is not covered by any health insurance.
3. Inadequate research data: Very few studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of Botox as a treatment for chronic pains.
With all that things laid out, patients should not run to the nearest cosmetic spa for Botox treatment. They should take into consideration that they still need to talk to their specialists to discuss if they could use Botox as management for their chronic back pain.
