Recent health news reports about the uses of Botox for headaches have started cropping up. However, while Botox may be popular among celebrities to help them keep those wrinkles away, is it really all that effective for curing headaches? Let’s take a look at what researchers are really saying.
Not All Headaches are the Same
The most common types of headaches are tension and episodic migraine headaches. In fact, according to a recent report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), approximately 42 percent of adults experience frequent tension headaches. However, most adults rarely seek medical help for this type of headache. The global prevalence of episodic migraines is estimated to be somewhere between eight and 18 percent. However, migraine headaches are often more disabling, since symptoms include not only pain, but also nausea, sensitivity to light, visual disturbances and numbness.
Chronic migraines and non-tension headaches are even more debilitating. Episodic headaches occur less than 15 times per month. Chronic headaches occur almost every day, often at least 15 times or more across a one-month period. Chronic headaches can be extremely painful and make it difficult to function in almost any way possible.
The research on the use of Botox for headaches reveals that it is only effective for chronic migraines and non-tension headaches. It is not effective at all for tension headaches in any form or for episodic migraines.
If you have an occasional headache, in all likelihood, the best remedy is to use relaxation techniques and perhaps take a mild analgesic, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. You really do not need to run out to get a Botox injection, we promise.
– The Alternative Daily
