Botox is probably best known to most consumers as the anti-wrinkle wonder drug for the rich and famous. Injected into the face by an experienced medical professional, Botox can smooth out those crow’s feet and laugh lines that are part of the natural aging process. But the medical applications for this purified form of botulinum toxin A go far beyond its cosmetic uses. Here are five surprising ways doctors are putting Botox to work.
Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition where the bladder contracts uncontrollably, resulting in the strong, sudden urge to urinate, the urge to go too often, and leakage. Prescription Botox may be injected into the bladder muscle to treat OAB symptoms when another type of medication is ineffective or can’t be taken.
Chronic Migraine
A migraine headache typically involves severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on only one side of the head. This pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Chronic migraine involves migraine symptoms that occur 15 or more days per month. Prescription Botox is the first and only FDA-approved preventive treatment for chronic migraine. Unlike treatments for traditional headaches, which are taken after the pain begins, Botox is a preventative treatment that can help prevent migraines from starting.
Upper Limb Spasticity
Upper limb spasticity involves the muscles of the arms when they are constantly contracted and stiff, triggering abrupt, uncontrollable movements or spasms in your arms. You also can have trouble with arm function and coordination. Upper limb spasticity is caused by damage to the nervous system. BOTOX® for injection is indicated for the treatment of upper limb spasticity in adult patients, to decrease the severity of increased muscle tone in elbow flexors, wrist flexors, finger flexors, and thumb flexors.
Severe Underarm Sweating
Sweating is your body’s normal and healthy cooling mechanism that kicks in when your body heats up. But some some people suffer from an overabundance of sweat; a condition known clinically as severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis, or more commonly as severe underarm sweating. Your dermatologist might recommend Botox injections to treat the symptoms of severe underarm sweating, if the symptoms aren’t responding well enough to other medications.
Crossed Eyes
Individuals who suffer from strabismus, a vision condition which prevents a person from aligning both eyes simultaneously under normal conditions, are sometimes unkindly referred to as being cross-eyed or wall-eyed. Strabismus was one of the first conditions for which Botox was approved as a treatment.