Over the past few years, there has been increased interest in using Botox for migraine. Some people feel it has been an almost miraculous solution for them. But the trials and research hasn't always been convincing.

Is Botox for migraines something you should try?

What is Botox? Botox is botulinum toxin, a toxin produced by bacteria.

Botulinum toxin A (Botox) has become famous for getting rid of wrinkles. The treatment was discovered in Canada in 1987 by Jean and Alastair Carruthers, and since then brand names Botox, Neurobloc and Myobloc (botulinum toxin B) have been used (in very small doses) to decrease wrinkles and frown lines.

The next discovery was that patients with migraine found their attacks to be decreasing when they had Botox treatment. Why was this happening? Was it just a coincidence? Since then, research has begun to try to understand why it works, and when it works, and how Botox for migraine might best be used.
 

How does it work? In your body, a chemical (neurotransmitter) known as acetylcholine sends signals for muscles to contract. Botox as a toxin binds the nerve endings, blocking the release of the chemical. Essentially, your muscles don't get the message to contract, and so they relax. In a proper treatment, the muscles won't contract (causing wrinkles), but will still have enough strength for normal use.

How does botox work for Migraines? Why it may work to relieve migraine is not certain. Could it just be that relaxing certain muscles slows the migraine chain reaction? It's more likely that it  blocks pain signals, or may even block signals that contribute to the migraine.

Migraine study reported by CTV.  Botox may offer relief for migraine suffers.