The Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday that Botox is now approved for the treatment of chronic migraine headaches. With this new application, therapeutic treatments with Botox may begin to surpass the number of cosmetic treatments.
People suffering from chronic migraines regularly experience an intense throbbing pain in one area of the head, a condition that’s often very debilitating. To help prevent migraines, Botox injections are administered every 12 weeks around the head and neck. The injections are only intended for treating severe headaches that occur more than 14 days in one month. Neurologists believe Botox migraine treatments may work by disrupting the transmission of pain signals to the nerve endings.
Some market analysts say Botox sales will dramatically increase, while others remain unconvinced. According to an article in the New York Times, some argue that “minimal” effectiveness and high cost will prevent Botox from being embraced by most doctors and patients.
Read the FDA press release
