“It is an area of controversy, there are some small international studies done in relation to the treatment of migraine with botox injections, but the outcome didn’t show huge support for the treatment.
“However, there is some evidence to demonstrate that it has been useful in the treatment of tension (or muscle contraction)
“I think there is evidence to show it could help people with a particular type of tension headache but I think it has a very limited role in managing migraine.” Two studies were presented at a meeting of the American Association for the Study of Headache initially suggested botox can treat certain types of headache.
According to Dr Patrick Treacy, Medical Director of the Ailesbury Clinic in Dublin, 55 per cent of 58 patients in a recent Mayo Clinic study who received Botox reported a moderate improvement in their headaches.
“In a retrospective study at the Ailesbury Clinic 13 patients out of 23 who suffered from moderately severe migraine said their headaches almost completely disappeared and they knew when their Botox was wearing off when the headaches started to return after about four to six months,” he said. However, I agree with Dr. O' Sullivan that "there is not yet enough evidence to suggest botox should be offered to patients as a reliable first-line treatment for migraine"
Dr O’Sullivan and Dr Treacy are both speaking at a migraine education lecture in Clare on September 15, organised by the Migraine Association of Ireland.
