Most people think of Botox as a purely cosmetic product. This impressive drug also has purely therapeutic applications. In addition to reducing wrinkles, contouring lips, and lifting facial features, Botox also has a wide range of alternative uses. This article will discuss a few of the most important of them.
1. Managing Jaw Pain
Jaw pain can result from both bruxism, or teeth grinding, and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). For those struggling with jaw pain, determining the underlying cause may feel less important than finding more effective ways to manage the symptoms. Botox can offer help in this arena.
Botox injections into the jaw muscles prevent them from contracting involuntarily, which reduces symptoms of TMJ and helps to prevent further damage from bruxism. The best part is that essential functions such as speaking, swallowing, and chewing are all unaffected. Botox injections for managing jaw pain only affect involuntary movements.
2. Getting Rid of Headaches
Botox injections can reduce how often people who struggle with migraines get headaches. The treatment is generally reserved for severe cases in which people experience 15 or more headache days per month, a condition referred to as chronic migraines. As with more commonplace Botox applications, the treatment must be repeated once every three months or so for patients to continue seeing benefits.
3. Symptom Control in Cervical Dystonia
Cervical dystonia is a rare condition that causes uncontrolled contraction of the neck muscles. These spasms cause people’s heads to twist or turn into uncomfortable conditions, which can be quite painful. Botox injections into the neck can help control the symptoms of cervical dystonia.
4. Treating Lazy Eye
A lazy eye is caused by an imbalance in the strength of the muscles used to move the eyes. Also referred to as being cross-eyed or having misaligned eyes, people who live with this condition can find relief through Botox injections that allow their muscles to balance back out, allowing them to see more normally.
5. Reducing Excessive Sweating
Sweating is normal and healthy in some circumstances. When it’s hot out, for example, people’s bodies release sweat as a means of cooling down. Breaking a sweat while exercising is also completely normal and healthy. However, some people suffer from a condition called hyperhidrosis in which they sweat excessively all the time, even when it’s cool out and they are not physically active. They can benefit from Botox injections to reduce sweating.
6. Addressing Urge Incontinence
People with bladder problems may experience two different types of incontinence. Urge incontinence often occurs as a result of overactive bladder syndrome. People feel that they need to urinate more frequently than normal and may experience urinary incontinence. Botox injections can reduce the activity of overactive bladder muscles, which can also reduce issues with urge incontinence.
7. Relaxing the Pyloric Sphincter
The pyloric sphincter is found at the junction between the stomach and small intestine. Some people have trouble passing food through their gastrointestinal systems due to dysfunction of the pyloric sphincter. Botox injections can relax this muscle, allowing food to pass more easily into the small intestine.
Only Trust Professionals
As with cosmetic applications of Botox, people who want to use it for therapeutic purposes should always find a trained professional. Botox can be an incredibly helpful tool for patients struggling with all kinds of disorders, but that tool should only be wielded by trusted medical experts.
