Botox is the brand name for therapeutic botulinum toxin. Most people know Botox as a cosmetic treatment for facial wrinkles and aging of the skin. However, this special medication is also used by health care providers to treat increased facial trauma and muscle stiffness in adults.
Many adults experience spasticity, which is a debilitating condition. Although it is not a life-threatening condition, limb spasticity can be severely debilitating and painful, producing disfiguring muscle contractions that can result in stiff, tight muscles and facial trauma.
The stiffness hampers a patient’s ability to perform simple tasks, such as dressing or washing. It can also hinder a patient’s ability to walk, and often leaves the patient bedridden and dependent on a caregiver to help with simple activities. That is why caregivers have turned to Botox. Grand Rapids establishments are offering help is many different forms now.
Botox Injections for Pain Management
Facial injuries can affect upper jaw, lower jaw, cheek, nose, or forehead. They may be caused by blunt force or be the result of a wound. Some common causes of injury to the face include:
* Car and motorcycle crashes
* Wounds
* Sports injuries
* Violence
* Symptoms
* Changes in feeling over the face
* Deformed or uneven face or facial bones
* Difficulty breathing through the nose due to swelling and bleeding
* Double vision
* Missing teeth
* Swelling around the eyes that may cause vision problems
Botox – How It Works
When injected into muscles that are in spasm (also known as involuntary contractions), botulinum toxin is a complex protein that binds to the nerves and prevents the release of a neurochemical, acetylcholine. This blocking action reduces the spasm of the muscles and produces a temporary paralysis of the nerve function.
The medical term for the Botox injections is chemical denervation. This procedure can assist patients with their rehabilitation and also reduce the pain they feel. This is helpful in improving their quality of life. For so many, this type of injection will improve their day to day functioning.
Patients can be injected in various sites depending on the location and on the intensity of their spasms and pain; immediate relief works within 48 to 72 hour and can last for 60 to 90 days.
