While Botox is one of the most popular ways to smooth out unwanted lines and wrinkles, it actually has a wide variety of other uses.
It is a neuromuscular blocker, which means it affects the nerves in the muscle it’s injected into. Our muscles are affected or involved in a number of medical conditions, which is why Botox is such a versatile treatment.
The Many Medical Uses for Botox
Besides making you look and feel younger, here are a few of the other ways that it can be used.
Excessive Sweating
Even though sweating is a normal response to stress or an increase in temperature, some people experience excessive sweating for no reason at all. Sweat is produced when the muscles around the sweat glands contract. By blocking the nerve signals to these muscles, sweat and body odor can be reduced.
Crossed Eyes
In 1981, Botox was used to treat crossed eyes for the first time. By injecting the substance into the muscles that are responsible for moving the eye, doctors are able to reduce the appearance of crossed eyes.
Chronic Migraines
According to epiclinic, chronic migraines are one of the most popular medical conditions that are treated with Botox. Anyone who experiences headaches more than 14 days every month has a potentially chronic condition. To treat the symptoms associated with migraines, the injections are administered to the patient’s head or neck every 12 weeks.
Chronic Pain
Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic condition that can be treated with Botox. By injecting it into the neck and shoulder area, chronic pain can be greatly reduced, helping patients experience a better quality of life. While medication is still effective for treating chronic pain, Botox offers longer-lasting effects.
Depression
It is even used as a treatment in the psychiatric space. A study that was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research in 2014, researchers injected Botox between the eyebrows of 74 people with depression. The symptoms experienced by these patients decreased by 47% over the course of six weeks. Other studies show that frowning is believed to contribute to depression-related symptoms, which is one of the reasons why Botox works as a treatment.
Drooling
Patients with Parkinson’s disease often experience drooling because they may swallow less than usual but it can help treat this effect. In a study that was conducted in 2006, researchers saw a visible improvement in patients that were treated with Botox.
Incontinence
Finally, it can also be used to treat adults who have an overactive bladder but haven’t responded to the medication that’s usually prescribed for this condition. Adults with incontinence will experience bladder squeezing too often or without warning, causing them to want to urinate frequently or pass urine without warning. By injecting it into the bladder, it relaxes, which increases its capacity to store urine.
Botox is certainly one of the most versatile treatments available today and can help improve your quality of life in more ways than one.