Botulinum toxin in the treatment of myofascial pain

Kenneth M. Alo, Marc J. Yland, Donald L. Kramer, Jeffrey H. Charnov, Vladimir Redko

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    30 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    It has been hypothesized that botulinum toxin (BTX) might offer an advantage over conventional treatments for myofascial syndrome. We tested the long-term effect of BTX in the treatment of myofascial pain related to the head and neck (group 1, n = 33) and low back (group 2, n = 19). Measurements were obtained at baseline and at 4-week intervals for up to 6 months after BTX treatment. Variables included pain level, spasm level, patient satisfaction level, medication usage and the incidence of side-effects. Low-dose injection using BTX (10-300 units/treatment) was effective in ameliorating symptoms in this patient population. We documented a greater than 50 per cent reduction in spasm level and an improved response to treatment in 63 and 43 per cent of patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Side-effects, such as flu-like symptoms and nausea, were reported by 62 per cent of patients after the first treatment, but resolved within 1 week.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)107-116
    Number of pages10
    JournalPain Clinic
    Volume10
    Issue number2
    StatePublished - 1997

    Keywords

    • Botulinum toxin A
    • Chronic pain
    • Fluoroscopy
    • Human
    • Myofascial syndrome
    • Trigger points

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
    • Clinical Neurology

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