Migraine, TMJ, & Tension Headache & Prevention

Botox/Dysport for TMJ & Lock Jaw

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) describes the articulation of the jaw bone (mandible) with the skull. The TMJ is operated by powerful muscles called the Masseters that are used during talking, chewing, and any activity that involves moving the jaw. These muscles can become inflamed and painful if this joint is damaged, displaced, or overworked through stress or grinding the teeth at night. This can, in some cases, lead to severe tension and migraine headaches as well as sharp pain in the jaw. Botox relieves these symptoms by releasing the masseters and making them unable to engage in the powerful and often unconscious movement that produces these symptoms. Treatment is quick, straightforward, and effective. Most patients experience noticeable improvement within a day or two of their first treatment. Full effect, however may take up to a week.

Key Procedures:

Temporomandibular joint disorder
Lock jaw
Tension headache
Migraine headache
Chronic headaches

Botox/Dysport for Migraine

Headaches are a complex subject but, in their worst form, can be painful to the point of being disabling for patients. There are many types of headaches and, unfortunately, they remain poorly understood. However, there are three main types. These include migraine, tension, and chronic daily headaches. Treatment options have traditionally been limited and, in the case of migraine headache, extremely expensive.

Migraine headaches affects 18% of women and 6% of men. Patients complain of a severe throbbing headache associated with nausea and sometimes vomiting and/or sensitivity to light and noise. Tension headaches are milder but, can still be disabling. They tend to be bilateral and associated with pressure or tightness in the head usually in the distribution of a hatband. Chronic daily headaches are defined as 15 days of headache per month.

Botox was FDA approved in 2010 for the prophylactic treatment of migraines. It is an effective treatment for migraine, tension and chronic daily headaches. Botox works because it is taken up by the nerves in the scalp and blocks the release of certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) that govern the transmission of pain. This makes Botox a powerful new tool in the fight against headaches because, unlike other treatments, Botox can actually prevent a migraine before it starts.

Botox is highly effective for patients with disabling headaches, patients who have failed to respond to conventional treatments, or patients who have concurrent jaw pain or head and neck muscle spasms. Botox is injected around the scalp in roughly a hatband distribution. In one study, 51% of patients reported complete resolution of headaches, 28% had greater than 50% improvement, and 21% had no response. The average duration of benefit was 3.6 months.