new botox uses
Not just for wrinkles, botox can combat everything from sweating to cerebral palsy.
Head
According to Gerald Edmunds, executive director of The Brain Foundation, it’s estimated that seven million Australians suffer migraines or chronic headaches. While the causes of migraines are yet to be fully determined, for some people Botox can prevent a migraine’s onset by relaxing the muscles which spasm during an attack. In stress-related headaches, Botox is injected into the jaw area which clenches, sparking headache pain. “I have a number of patients who couldn’t function on a weekly basis because of their migraines,” says Sydney cosmetic surgeon Dr Anoop Rastogi. “One in particular couldn’t work during an attack – she couldn’t even get out of bed. Now she has her own business and enjoys surfing. Her life has changed.”
Cost: Migraine relief using Botox starts at $1,000 and involves a series of three injections which last three to four months. When it’s used to rid wrinkles, the price starts at $500 and lasts for a similar period.
Throat
A Victorian trial found that Botox can help throat cancer patients speak again by controlling muscle spasms that occur after the removal of the larynx. The trial – a venture between the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and the Royal Melbourne Hospital – began in 2006 and is ongoing. Senior speech pathologist Nadine Manison, who is involved in the trial, says that it is expected to become a standard treatment in the future because of the trial’s success.
Underarms
This is known as “Hollywood Botox” due to stars having their underarms injected with the drug to prevent noticeable perspiration on the red carpet – it blocks the receptors which stimulate sweating. Dr Rastogi says Botox sweat treatments are popular with summer brides and those in the public eye. It’s also a hit with people suffering excessive sweating – known as hyperhidrosis. Up to 197 million people worldwide suffer from this medical condition and for them, Botox can be socially transforming. “People who don’t have a problem with severe sweating have no idea how crippling it is,” Dr Rastogi says. “The treatment allows a normal functioning life and confidence.”
Cost: $1,200 is the standard cost for a Botox treatment to curb sweating. Each lasts eight to 12 months.
Bottom
Painful fissures caused by constipation are more common in women than men, says Professor Thomas Borody, director of the Centre for Digestive Diseases in Sydney. “Botox is injected into the contracting muscle around the fissure, allowing improved blood flow to the area which quickly heals it. The treatment has a 95 per cent success rate.”
Cost: Day surgery can be covered by private health insurance. Botox is about $150 extra.
Feet
For some children with cerebral palsy, Botox is life changing as it reduces their spasms. Medicare provides Botox rebates for children with foot spasms related to cerebral palsy. On a different note, Dr Suzanne Levine, a New York cosmetic podiatric surgeon, is using Botox to treat a number of foot problems, including severe fungal conditions caused by excessive sweating and hammer toes. Like all Botox applications, the treatments must be repeated for maximum effect every seven to 12 months.
Cost: From $800 per foot.
Legs
One of the newer cosmetic treatments is slimming naturally thick calves. According to Dr Rastogi, the injected Botox effectively wastes the muscle on the calf, slimming the leg.
Cost: Prices start from $1,200. Lasts six to 12 months.
Back and other muscles
Pain Management and Rehabilitation Medical Services of New York offer Botox injections for muscle spasms that create aches and pains in the body, including the back. Medical director Dr Alan Leff pioneered CT guided deep muscle injections, which pinpoint the location of the spasms and guide the Botox injection for maximum pain relief. In Australia, Randwick’s Royal Hospital for Women conducted a trial in 2005 on the use of Botox in managing pelvic pain and reported it reduced pain severity in three quarters of women studied. Cost: Currently unavailable in Australia
Cost: Prices start from $1,200. Lasts six to 12 months.
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