Botox will not help neck pain
Botox injections have no considerable effect in reducing neck pain and improving movement or quality of life for patients suffering neck problems.
In recent years, the injection of Botulinum toxin has become popular in the treatment of various cosmetic and medical conditions such as facial wrinkles, migraines and excessive sweating.
However, a review of nine previous studies, which involved more than 500 participants, showed that the ingredient in a Botox injection was not helpful in easing symptoms of neck pain.
The studies have compared the effect of Botox shots with placebo injections or other pain treatments in improving pain, physical abilities, and quality of life in neck pain sufferers.
Botox injections contain a protein called botulinum toxin type A. The Natural form of Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and is considered the most powerful neurotoxin ever discovered.
The bacterial toxin can cause a serious and life-threatening illness in humans and animals by paralyzing muscles while the standardized type A preparation can be used in temporarily relaxing tension of muscles that form wrinkles or cause headache.
According to the review study carried out by Merck Research Laboratories in New Jersey, the costly injection of botulinum toxin was not helpful in reducing neck pain or related headaches, either alone or when used along with other medications or exercise programs.
Moreover, patients who got Botox shots, which has to be repeated every few months to maintain the effects, were more likely to experience a side effect, including soreness or flu-like symptoms, than those not given the drug.
Almost all of the analyzed studies showed that any possible benefits were not worth the potential harms, the researchers concluded in their report in at the Cochrane Library.
"Based on current evidence, we have no reason for supporting the use of botulinum toxin as a standalone therapy for neck pain, but we do suggest that researchers consider further study to clarify whether the dose can be optimized for neck pain," said study spokesperson Paul Michael Peloso.
The researchers suggested further studies to evaluate the effectiveness of Botox in relieving symptoms other than pain, such as function, to see whether the injections may provide some benefit for neck pain.
Source: presstv.ir
