In the US alone, there are approximately 3.2 million patients diagnosed with chronic migraine. A person must suffer from 15 (or more) headache days, with the headaches lasting longer than 4 hours at a time, in a calendar month to be diagnosed with chronic migraine. Unfortunately, up until now there was no effective preventive treatment approved by the FDA proven to lessen the occurrence of migraine.
BOTOX® is first and only FDA-approved treatment to prevent migraine
A surprising answer to migraine prevention has come from the cosmetic sector. BOTOX®is not just helping people look younger; it is also proving an effective treatment for migraine. BOTOX®is the first and only FDA-approved treatment to prevent migraine in adults suffering from chronic migraine. Over the course of two clinical studies involving 1,384 adult patients, it was found that BOTOX® significantly lessened the occurrence of headache days (versus a placebo).
In order to be included in the studies, the patients had to suffer from 15 or more headache days within a 28 day period. Their headaches had to last over 4 hours per occurrence and about half of those headaches had to qualify as a migraine or probable migraine. A migraine is a recurrent, throbbing headache that may be accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, or disturbed vision.
At the beginning of the study, the researchers determined that these patients averaged approximately 20 headache days per month as a baseline.
The studies were designed to be double blind, where neither the person administering the treatment nor the patientsknew whether or not they were receiving the placebo (in this case, saline water) or the BOTOX®treatment. None of the patients were permitted to take any other headache treatments during the study, except in the case of painkiller for acute headaches. The patients received injections every 12 weeks and were monitored over the course of 56 weeks (receiving a total of 5 injections).
It was found that after 24 weeks, patients on BOTOX®had 8 to 9 fewer headache days per month compared with the baseline. Those on the placebo had 6 to 7 fewer headache days. For patients suffering from chronic migraines, reducing the occurrence of migraine by more than half basically gives them back their lives.
The benefits of BOTOX® as a preventive treatment for chronic migraine
Migraine significantly impacts a person’s life. Due to the nature and length of time involved, people with chronic migraine lose significant time from work and school. They miss out on leisure and social activities. In addition, their efficiency levels drop, sometimes individuals experience as much as a 50% reduction in productivity which they refer to as a “migraine hangover”. Being incapacitated for most of a given month means that many individuals cannot hold down a regular job, maintain relationships, or generally enjoy life. Without an effective way to treat and prevent the occurrence of migraine, many sufferers also deal with depression and anxiety.
Now that BOTOX® is FDA-approved as a migraine treatment, adult sufferers of chronic migraines can reduce the occurrence of debilitating headache days by as much as half. They may now reengage with life.
Not just anyone can administer BOTOX®for migraine relief
Those suffering from chronic migraine should consult with a headache specialist who is also well versed in using BOTOX®for chronic migraine treatment. Dr. Michael Tuchman, a neurologist in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and nurse practitioner Rhonda Skiles have been heavily involved in migraine research and BOTOX®treatments. They are now actively reaching out to offer this treatment for chronic migraine sufferers in the area. For more information about BOTOX®for migraine and to find out how it might help you, call (561) 694-1010.
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