Botox was approved for use in the treatment of chronic migraine headaches in 2010 but recent research has called its effectiveness into question.
A study, published April 24, 2012, in the Journal of the American Medical Association(1), found that Botox had no benefit for those with episodic migraines that occur less than 15 times a month, or chronic tension headaches that occur more than 15 times a month.
The recent article showed only a slight decrease in the number of migraine headaches per month, with the effect limited to patients who had attacks at least every other day; patients with 15 or more migraine attacks each month suffered, on the average, two less headaches each month while on Botox treatment.
Even more alarming is that one study stated that botulinum toxin can travel along neurons from the injection site into the brain, at least in lab animals(2). Botulinum is one of the deadliest neurotoxins found in nature. This information certainly warrants more study before we continue to proclaim it safe for humans.
Understandably, Botox is big business. A $1.59 Billion business, 50% of which is directed toward medical uses. I have to call into question big pharma on this one.
I understand how frustrating chronic headaches can be for the average person. Once life threatening conditions like AV malformations, metabolic conditions and brain tumors are ruled-out people find themselves looking at taking pills for the rest of their lives to stave off the headaches.
This is completely unacceptable. Not only are migraine medications inherently a band-aid approach but they have plenty of unwanted side-effects. I've also found it common for medications of various classes of medications to simply stop working over time. Imagine watching your treatment opportunities becoming more and more limited over the years as you run out of options.
This is where functional medicine and neurology can come together to provide a detection and treatment option tailored to the individual.
Functional medicine is the science of studying patterns in lab work and applying natural methods to resolve problems. This approach to migraines seeks to help the brain and body work properly and naturally. Functional medicine does not take a "wait and see" view but attempts to be proactive. By getting to the heart of the problem it can become easier to root out the underlying causes and possibly eliminate headaches altogether.
Functional neurology was pioneered by Dr. Ted Carrick. Instead of stopping the investigation of a health condition once major pathological causes are excluded the functional approach continues to ask questions about why the nervous system is performing abnormally.
There are very few doctors that have advanced training in both these disciplines. It is important to find a physician who has expertise in both areas in order to help give you the best possible treatment outcomes.
Take away:
Botox offers very little benefit in reducing migraines (not a cure and injections must be repeated periodically)There is clear evidence demonstrating toxins have the potential to travel from the face into the brain (the effects on humans are still unknown)Go to http://www.carrickinstitute.org to find a trained doctor in your area.
1. JAMA, April 25, 2012-Vol 307, No. 16
2. The Journal of Neuroscience, April 2, 2008 • 28(14):3689 -3696.
To learn more about Dr. Serpe visit his website and blog at http://www.napervillemigrainerelief.com/. Dr. Serpe uses a combination of function neurology and functional medicine to help his patients naturally find long term headache relief.
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