Your Guide To Botox For Treating Chronic Migraines

Jan 30, 2023

Migraines have quite an impact on the receiver’s life. Sometimes, the attacks can be so painful and debilitating that one might just throw up or even pass out as a result. So, in the search to find relief from this chronic illness, you might be ready to try just about anything.

But how do you identify if you have chronic migraine or not? Well, if your migraine symptoms last around 15 or more days every month, chances are you have chronic migraine. There are various treatments out there that help address the symptoms or prevent them, one of which includes a preventative therapy of Botox. You can get it done from a local clinic or a med spa in Orange County and the results are quite impactful. 

What Is Botox?

Botox is an injectable developed from Clostridium Botulinum, a purified protein. Once it is injected into the targeted areas, it causes temporary muscle paralysis by blocking certain chemical nerve signals.

The Botox treatment initially gained popularity as a wrinkle reducer, be it forehead lines, smile lines, frown lines, or crow’s feet. However, now, it is recognized as a potential treatment for varying medical conditions, such as eye twitching, repetitive neck spasms, and, of course, chronic migraine. 

How Is Botox Used To Treat Migraine?

There are various symptoms linked to migraine attacks and botox works by reducing them to a minimum. This includes:

• Nausea
• Vomiting 
• Sensitivity to smell, light, and sound 

Botox injections are given in areas that are involved in migraine and headaches. It has an impact on the nerve terminals and prevents the production of chemicals that cause the transmission of pain.

It could take 10 to 14 days or even longer for you to feel better after you have received your Botox injections. After your initial round of injections, it's possible that your symptoms won't get any better but with continuous treatment, you will surely feel the difference. 

Research conducted in 2018 proved that Botox was effective in treating chronic migraine over a period of 3 years. It was also shown to be safe and well-tolerated. Plus, it showed quite a reduction in average monthly days of headaches. 

How Is Migraine Botox Given?

Botox comes in a single-use vial in the form of a powder. To create a liquid injectable solution, the aesthetician mixes a drug in it. The solution is administered intramuscularly to adults with persistent migraine headaches so that they can get rid of the harsh symptoms. This will only be injected in key areas by a medical practitioner.

You will be given 31 injections with 5 units per injection by the healthcare professional in order to treat your chronic migraine.  

What Are The Injection Sites?

Since this injectable is directly given into the muscle, you must be wondering where the practitioner injects them for migraine headaches. Well, to treat chronic migraines, Botox is injected:

• Between your neck and shoulder on both sides
• At the back of your neck where your skull ends
• In the middle of your forehead, right above each eye
• In the lower part of your forehead, above each eye
• Near the inside edge of each eyebrow on the lower part of your forehead
• Above the ear
• Behind each temple

Side Effects Of Botox For Migraine

The side effects of Botox for chronic migraine are very rare and can barely be felt by an individual who gets them done. However, one can feel slight neck pain along with stiffness around the injection site. You may even develop a headache right after the treatment and feel muscle weakness on the shoulders and neck. But these side effects only last for a few hours or days before fading away completely. 

Other than that, you must make sure that your Botox is prescribed and administered by a certified medical practitioner so that you can reduce the risk of more serious side effects and complications. We at OC Beauty Medspa have a team of trained and certified healthcare professionals who ensure the safety of each and every patient at any given point. So, while you might feel the side effects of Botox, it won’t lead to anything serious. 

What Can You Expect From The Botox Treatment?

You will feel little to no pain while getting the Botox injections except for the small sting with each injection. Each session will last about 10 to 15 minutes and you will be injected with multiple doses of Botox into the injection points mentioned before. Other than the slightest bit of side effects, you will feel refreshed and will be able to go about your day as normal.

How Often Should You Get Botox For Chronic Migraine?

If you choose to go with Botox as a way to treat your migraine, your doctor will probably ask you to get them once every 3 months but not any more than that, as the risks of getting the injectable more frequently is not that well-studied.   

Some patients may show significant improvement during treatment and be able to stop without relapsing. Based on your body’s response to the treatment, your doctor will suggest a duration for your treatment plan.

Final Words

Botox injections are one of the treatment options accessible to you if you suffer from recurring migraines. Your doctor may not prescribe this option until all the other treatment options have failed. Plus, if you have difficulty tolerating migraine drugs, they will probably end up prescribing you Botox.

The majority of insurance companies now pay for Botox injections when they're used to treat severe migraines. The cost of getting Botox could end up piling up to around thousands of dollars if you don't have insurance or if your insurer won't pay for the treatment.

So, make sure to speak with your insurance provider prior to taking the injectables. They may ask you to get some tests and procedures done before they grant you the amount to get the Botox treatment.

Contact OC Beauty Medspa!

If you are looking to get Botox in Newport Beach, make sure you contact OC Beauty Medspa. We have a team of expert professionals who have years of experience with Botox and other types of injectables. You can be assured your treatment will be safe and successful if you choose to go with our services! So, get in touch with us now and learn more about our treatments!