Most people are familiar with Botox. Many of us have seen the footage on television showing a doctor injecting this clear wonder solution into the facial skin of some patient searching for the lost fountain of youth. But did you know that Botox has also moved into the arena of helping people solve some more mainstream problems such as strokes, cerebral palsy and migraines? In the past year or so, much research and experimentation has shown that this wrinkle cure is also useful in helping people with more serious medical problems.

Botox is derived from the same botulin toxin that is found in spoiled foods. A sterile and purified version of this toxin, known as Botulinum toxin type A, is what doctors use to reduce wrinkles. It is injected just under the skin. The toxin simply blocks the nerves in the muscles from receiving the signal to contract, thereby causing them to relax more. The net result is that the process of wrinkle formation is reduced. The process must be repeated every 3 to 6 months because the effect wears off.

This same muscle relaxing effect has been found to be beneficial in treating other ailments where the muscles are known to spasm or freeze up causing pain and discomfort. At the neurology clinic at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary Canada, Dr. Oksana Suchowersky has been using Botox for years to treat facial spasms and more recently, migraine headaches.

In addition, Montreal urologist Dr. Jacques Corcos, has been using Botox to treat patients with poor bladder control. By injecting Botox into the bladder of patients, they are able to live a more comfortable life, relieving them from the mercy of numerous bathroom visits.

At the University Medical Center in Texas, Dr. Gabor Racz has been using a combination of Botox and phenol injections to relieve crippling pain in patients suffering from chronic neurological syndrome. This is a condition where patients experience severe pain, burning, sensitivity and sometimes swelling, often in their hands.

At Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, in Winston-Salem, N.C., Botox is also helping stroke patients. Dr. Allison Brashear has been using Botox to help stroke victims get back to helping themselves live a more pain free life. With repeated injections, he has helped patients recover so that they can perform everyday activities without much pain. It has been estimated that perhaps 10% of stroke survivors could benefit from Botox treatments.

Since its initial approval for medical use in 1998, more and more, doctors have found important and life changing uses for Botox. The current estimate is that within 3 years, the FDA will grant approval to Botox for the treatment of migraines. So, if you simply want to take a few years off your face or stop crippling pain or correct an overactive bladder, your next trip to the doctor may very likely contain a conversation about Botox and how it can help you.

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