Migraines? Here’s How Botox Can Help

Botox® is best known for its anti-aging benefits, reducing the appearance of facial lines and wrinkles. But Botox has other benefits beyond restoring a more youthful appearance. The injection also eases the severity and frequency of chronic migraine headaches.

At Montclair Rejuvenation Center in Verona and West Caldwell, New Jersey, Dr. Kelly Distefano and our team are on a mission to always help our patients feel and look their best. In addition to anti-aging, we also provide Botox for migraines.

Here, we want to explain how Botox helps with these common and severe headaches.

Botox for migraines

Botox is an injection that interferes with the transmission of nerve signals to the brain. For lines and wrinkles, Botox temporarily stops motor nerve activity (stopping movement of the facial muscles that cause the lines and creases). For migraines, Botox blocks the chemicals (neurotransmitters) that transmit pain signals to the brain.

Though classified as a type of headache, migraines are a neurological condition — meaning the symptoms are the result of problems involving your nervous system. The neurological involvement explains the aura symptoms that affect many people who suffer from migraines.

Auras are the sensory or motor symptoms that occur before or during a migraine, such as seeing flashes of light, having blind spots in your vision, or tingling sensations in the skin.

These neurological involvements may explain how Botox helps with migraines. 

Can Botox help me?

The FDA approved the use of Botox for migraines in 2010. Since its approval, Botox has become one of the standard treatments for patients with chronic migraines. The injection helps prevent headaches, which is why it’s recommended for people with chronic migraines. 

Botox may help you if you have chronic migraines, which means you have 15 or more headache days a month with pain that lasts four or more hours. Currently, Botox is only approved for use in people 18 years of age and older. 

If you have chronic migraines and your current treatment isn’t working, then you should schedule a consultation with our team to see if Botox can help you. 

What to expect

Botox for migraines is relatively painless, but may take a little longer than Botox for anti-aging because you need a few more injections. We use a small needle and inject tiny amounts of the medication into specific areas around the base of your skull and then additional injections at the site of your head pain.

We also inject small amounts of Botox at specific points in the neck, face, and temples. In general, most people need more than 30 Botox injections for migraine treatment. We repeat these injections every three months.

Botox for migraines takes time to work and you may not notice improvements after your first round of injections. However, you should experience a decrease in the frequency and severity of your migraine headaches over time. Some people may even stop Botox injections for migraines after a while and still continue to get relief.

Migraines cause moderate to severe pain that affects quality of life. Botox is a game-changer for many and may work for you, too. Call our office in Verona or West Caldwell, New Jersey, or click the book online button to schedule your Botox for migraines consultation today.