Does Botox work for fibromyalgia?

Botox is a toxin obtained from the bacterial organism C botulinum. In small amounts the toxin has the ability to cause paralysis of specific muscles. The FDA first approved the use of botox in medicine in the late 80s after it was observed that it could control uncontrollable blinking of the upper eye lid muscles. Later it was observed that botox could help relieve muscle spasms of the neck. Almost 10 years later, in early 2000, the plastic and cosmetic surgeons utilized very small amounts of diluted botox to treat wrinkles and fine lines on the face.

Botox works by blocking the release of chemicals from nerves – this then results in the failure of the muscles to contract and a wrinkle free face.

One other area where botox has been investigated is in the treatment of pain. Some individuals who suffer from painful muscle spasms do admit that after Botox injections, the pain relief is immediate. It is not known whether the pain relief is directly due to botox or to the discontinuation of the muscle spasms.

In some individuals who primarily have pain from muscle tension, Botox injections have been reported to relieve the pain but there are no controlled trials to determine how many people respond and how much pain relief is obtained. Further, these results have not always been reproducible.

Work in animals reveals that botox may have the ability to modulate analgesic pain chemicals both in the brain and in the body.

Now there are some health care practitioners who advocate the use of botox for treatment of fibromyalgia.  There is scant research on the use of botox for this condition. The majority of reports are anecdotal and the results are neither predictable nor reproducible. One particular study from Ohio State did try out botox treatment for fibromyalgia in a double blind study. The trial was discontinued because a number of patients developed worsening pain and mental confusion. In another uncontrolled study, some patients with fibromyalgia who received botox developed increased pain in areas that were not injected. There were some patients with fibromyalgia who did notice an improvement in pain.

At present Botox is not approved by the FDA for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

At present the role of Botox in the treatment of fibromyalgia is in limbo. Some health care practitioners do administer it. The majority of physicians, however, do not recommend botox for patients with fibromyalgia. However, there are always some individuals who are desperate to give it a try. For individuals who may want to try botox, do note that the injections are not covered by Medicare or any other medical insurance carrier. The cost of botox injections is variable and averages about $500-$1000. Since you are going to be paying for the service, beware of the fact that both fake and diluted botox has been used in some health care facilities. So choose your therapist well and if ever in doubt, go get a second opinion.