Migraine treatment with botox

1st September 2019
Migraine treatments

We’ve been successfully treating migraine patients with botox for around 10 years. Over that time, with expert treatment from our skilled practitioners, over 90% of our patients have experienced an improvement in their symptoms.

In this article we delve into the detail of our botox migraine treatment and discover exactly what happens during your appointment.

How does botox help migraines?

Botox injections (the botulinum toxin) are used to relax muscles. Often this is for cosmetic results, to reduce wrinkles, but this relaxant effect can also be used to treat medical conditions such as migraines.

It is thought that, in addition to relaxing muscles, botox also blocks pain signals to the brain, which contributes to its medical applications.

Botox can help migraines of any type or severity.

Your pre-treatment consultation

Before you receive any treatment at Melior Clinics you are given a free consultation to ensure that the treatment is right for you and has the potential to give you the results you want to achieve.

At the consultation you’ll meet with one of our doctors or nurses who will ask you about your medical history including:

A history of your migraine attacks and symptoms.
Any previous medical issues or injuries.
Your family medical history.
Any medication you are taking.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

We use this information to ensure that we only treat you if it is safe and appropriate to do so. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, for example, cannot be treated with botox. Certain medical conditions may also preclude you from treatment.

Your treatment

Once you and your practitioner are happy that your treatment can go ahead, you’ll be asked to sit or lie on a treatment couch.

When you are comfortable, the practitioner will start the botox injections around your forehead, the side of your head, your neck and shoulders.

The needle we use is very small, the same size as the needles diabetics use for their daily insulin injections. In fact, they’re so small we actually refer to them as “pins” rather than needles!

Most people feel little or no pain from the injections, just a small scratch. Each injection is very quick. We make 25 to 30 small injections in total, which takes around 5 minutes.

After your treatment

Your appointment will take about half an hour in total. Afterwards you can go about your day as normal, although you should avoid alcohol and strenuous exercise for 24 hours.

You may find a little redness at the sites of the injections, but this will quickly subside. Because the needle we use is so small, most people won’t experience bruising, but occasionally small bruises can appear.

Once the botox has taken effect, you will find that some of your facial wrinkles are smoothed out as a by-product of the treatment. Before your treatment your practitioner will have explained this side effect to you and we always consider the aesthetic result of the botox injections alongside the migraine relief.

How quickly your symptoms will improve

It takes a few days for the botox to work, so it could be a week or so before you start to notice the benefits.

Over 90% of our patients see an improvement in their migraine symptoms after just one treatment.

Unfortunately, botox isn’t a cure for migraines, so the treatment has to be repeated every three to four months to maintain the benefits. However, the reduction in migraine symptoms can be life changing.

“I first came to see Dr Tim Beazleigh in January 2013 to discuss a Botox treatment for the chronic migraines I suffered with. For the last 18 months I had been taking three Propranolol tablets per day as a form of treatment for my migraines and (when needed) a Rizatriptan tablet. On average, I would get between 2-4 migraine attacks per month.
After the consultation with Dr Beazleigh, I decided to try Botox as a form of treatment and stop taking the Propranolol. I am extremely pleased to say that it has completely stopped any form of migraines and has overwhelmingly changed my life.
I would (and do) recommend to anyone I meet that suffers with migraines to go and see Dr Beazleigh to discuss Botox treatment. I could not be any more pleased with the results. It’s absolutely amazing!!”

JW of Surrey