(WebMD) "We anticipate that the effects will last for three months, but until the studies are done we will not know for sure," says researcher Beth Vause, executive director of clinical and regulatory operations at AlgoRx. She says the compound is also being tested in other types of pain such as nerve pain and postoperative pain.

In the study, the only side effect was brief, burning pain at the site of the injection.


Botox Not Just For Wrinkles

Botox is known to be great for wrinkles, but it also works against various conditions that cause pain.

In one study of 37 people with a variety of painful disorders including diabetic nerve pain, temporomandibular joint disease, the wrist pain of carpal tunnel syndrome, neck spasms, and headache, one injection of Botox produced an average 68 percent decrease in pain lasting 8.5 weeks.

In this study, the Botox toxin was injected under the skin, not in the muscle or joint as it has been in studies of back pain. More studies are now under way, according to researchers from Anodyne Pain Care in Dallas.


Botox For Back Pain

In another study of 25 people whose back pain did not respond to surgery, one injection of Botox into the muscle produced pain relief spanning about three months.

By Denise Mann
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
© 2005, WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

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