Botox for Chronic Pain

Did you know that Botox is used for more than wrinkles? Botox was actually first used in the 1980's to help treat children with strabismus "crossed-eyes". Neurological conditions such as hemifacial spasm, cervical dystonia, focal muscle spasticity (e.g. from a stroke or brain injury, childhood cerebral palsy), are all Health Canada approved for Botox treatment. In the early 1990's, a dermatologist noted that the patients treated by his ophthalmolgist wife for blepharospasm (twitching eyelids) had less wrinkles. This led to the whole "cosmetic industry" use of Botox. In the mid 90's, an ENT specialist reported that patients getting Botox for wrinkles had less migraine headaches. This led to an explosion of research in the area of pain including myofascial pain, low back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis. Even recent clinical trials demonstrate support for diabetic painful neuropathy. Is Botox the new "aspirin" of the decade? Read more to learn about this.