Not many people would consider a connection between Botox and migraine headaches. The ever-popular cosmetic wonder known to reduce wrinkles and make the ‘advanced in age’ generation look youthful again is seen by some as a true miracle drug.

After being chemically altered and diluted, botulinum toxin A, commercially known as Botox, is essentially that, a toxin. Since the early 1990’s Botox has been injected into certain facial areas to eliminate fine lines, wrinkles and the dreaded 'frown lines' that sometimes appear at the crease of the mouth.

Almost by accident, migraine sufferers who received Botox injections for their fine lines and wrinkles discovered that along with a more youthful appearance, they had also experienced relief in their migraine symptoms. There was no initial intent to develop a theory about Botox and its ability to treat migraines. As a matter of fact, practitioners were not even aware that some of their clients even suffered from migraines.

Armed with this unexpected result, medical researchers tested the coincidence by injecting study participants in the usual areas that dermatologists focus on (forehead, eye and brow muscles), as well as the side of the head, upper back and back of the neck.

To date, various studies have been conducted measuring the effectiveness of Botox in treating migraines. Study participants were either administered Botox or a placebo (a fake or inactive drug). Participants were not told if they were receiving real or fake medication. Some of the participants experienced immediate relief from the Botox which lasted anywhere from four to six months.

While not every migraine sufferer received relief, some did. It is worth noting that those affected with headaches other than migraines have also participated in these studies. Patients suffering from Chronic Daily Headaches (more than 16 headaches and/or migraines per month) also experienced relief.

Although the data is impressive, researchers cannot be 100% sure that all of the relief experienced by migraine sufferers is solely due to the Botox injections. Since Botox for migraines is used as a prophylactic treatment and is still considered experimental those participants taking part in the study who suffered from frequent migraines may have also been using their standard prophylactic class of medicines (triptans, anti-depressants, etc.). Some of these same participants may have also used rescue medicines for acute “breakthrough headaches” as well. Study results suggested that those suffering from only a few migraine episodes in a given time period did not experience a drastic decrease or disappearance of migraines altogether.

The major drawback to using Botox to treat migraines is the cost. Although it has been proven to treat migraines in some chronic sufferers, Botox has not yet been approved specifically for the treatment of migraines. This means that insurance companies are unlikely to cover the cost of the injections. However, if one considers the financial implications associated with migraines such as missed work/school/recreation, the cost of acute and/or prophylactic medications (with or without a prescription plan) and insurance co-pays to visit primary care physicians and specialists; paying out of pocket for Botox injections may end up saving chronic sufferers money.

The good news is that since Botox has been approved to treat some neuromuscular problems, doctors (neurologists, especially) are likely to get insurance approval to treat spasms and other long term conditions that may have been caused by migraines and other forms of chronic daily headache syndromes. If patients are lucky, they will be able to benefit from the injections in a roundabout way.