Botulinum Toxin Injection for Chronic Pain

Overview
Botulinum toxin injection has been used to treat many types of chronic pain involving the muscles. Types of pain for which Botulinum toxin may be beneficial include postsurgical pain, migraines and other headaches, piriformis syndrome, facial pain, myofascial pain, tennis elbow, chronic anal fissure, temporomandibular joint syndrome, low back pain, and chronic prostatic pain.

What does it involve?
Botulinum toxin injection is an outpatient procedure.

Botulinum toxin is produced by bacteria. The toxin has neurotoxic properties, meaning that it paralyzes or destroys nerve tissue. When it is injected into nerves associated with chronic pain, Botulinum toxin causes muscles to relax.

Where and how Botulinum toxin is injected depends on what type of pain it is being used to treat.

Recovery
You can leave the office after receiving the Botulinum toxin. You should rest that day, and you can resume normal activity the following day.

Results
Botulinum toxin injections are more effective for some conditions than others. Its use is still being studied in clinical trials for a wide variety of conditions.

Constraints
Botulinum toxin injection may not be successful at reducing pain.

Any benefit experienced from Botulinum toxin injection may be temporary.

Rarely, Botulinum toxin could spread from the injection site and cause a potentially fatal disease called botulism.