Yes, Botox Can Help You With Muscle Spasms

Many people associate Botox® injections with relaxing and smoothing out facial lines and wrinkles, but the treatment's roots are actually much different. In fact, the popular wrinkle-treatment injections received initial FDA approval in 1989 for treating muscle spasms—specifically, spasms associated with uncontrollable blinking (blepharospasm).

Today, Botox treats a wide range of muscle spasms, including those associated with chronic pain, headaches, and other uncomfortable symptoms. At his New York practices, E. Jacob Simhaee, MD, offers Botox injections for cosmetic purposes and to relieve painful muscle spasms. Here’s how it works.

The basics of Botox

Botox is a liquid derived from the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. Although large doses can cause serious health problems, the small doses used in Botox treatments can be beneficial in controlling muscle activity.

Specifically, Botox works by preventing nerve signals between specific muscles and your brain. When these nerve signals are blocked, your brain can’t “tell” your muscle to contract, preventing painful spasms from occurring.

In wrinkle treatment, Botox injections target facial muscles involved in facial movements, like frowning and smiling. By blocking signals between these muscles and the brain, Botox helps prevent wrinkles like crow’s feet and frown lines from forming.

Botox works similarly to other muscle spasm treatments but targets different muscles—the muscles involved in painful spasms.

Treating muscle spasms

Muscle spasms occur when muscle tissue contracts involuntarily, causing stiffness, tension, and, often, pain. They can occur for different reasons, including dehydration and overuse. Some muscle spasms are associated with underlying health issues, like multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia. Even arthritis can lead to muscle spasms when sore joints alter movement.

In muscle spasm treatment, we inject Botox solution directly into the muscles involved in the spasm. Treatments take just a few moments, and depending on your symptoms, we may target a single spot or multiple areas.

Once administered, Botox blocks the release of chemicals that carry nerve signals along pathways to and from the brain. Preventing those chemicals from transmitting pain signals helps muscles relax, providing rapid relief for pain and stiffness.

Afterward, there is no downtime, but to keep Botox focused on the treatment site, avoiding strenuous activity for several hours and rubbing the area is a good idea. Best of all, the beneficial effects of Botox can last for months, and injections can be repeated as needed to maintain those effects. 

Find relief for painful muscle spasms

Botox offers fast relief for muscle spasm pain, and it’s great in combination with other nonsurgical treatments, like physical therapy. To learn how we can help you relieve your muscle spasms, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Simhaee and his team at his Manhasset and Forest Hills, New York, practices today.